The following version of this book was used to create this study guide: de la Peña, Matt. Mexican WhiteBoy. Ember, 2008. Kindle.

The novel is told in the third-person present and switches back and forth between chapters that focus on the two protagonists, Danny and Uno. Danny is a sixteen-year-old baseball prodigy who has a white mother and a Mexican father. Danny resents his mother and misses his father, who left several years ago. All Danny knows is that his father is supposedly living in Mexico, but he has not been able to contact him or find out where specifically he lives. When Danny’s mother decides to move from San Diego to San Francisco with her new boyfriend, Danny decides to stay with his paternal cousin, Sofia, and the rest of the Lopez family in National City. His goal is to find a summer job and discover where his father is so he can buy a ticket to Mexico and reunite with the man he idolizes. Uno is a year older than Danny. He has a Black father and a Mexican mother. He lives in National City and has a huge crush on Sofia. His plans for the summer involve winning the stickball derby the neighborhood puts on each year.

Sofia introduces Danny to Uno while he is playing stickball with his friends. Their derby tournament is determined by whoever can hit the most tennis balls over the Rodriguez house. Sofia tells everyone that Danny is the best baseball player of all time. No one believes her, but when he takes a turn he hits the ball further than any of them ever have. Uno, who is pitching, gets angry. He starts pitching unfairly, aiming the ball at Danny’s head. Danny hits the ball, but drops his bat in the process, hitting Uno’s younger stepbrother, who has a learning disability, right in the face and knocking his tooth out. Uno, furious, punches Danny, knocking him to the ground.

Danny goes to the hospital to get stitches, and then spends a few weeks hiding out in Sofia’s room and sleeping. Uno talks to his father, who he calls Senior. Senior lives in Oxnard and comes to visit Uno once a month. He tells Uno that he can move in with him and his new wife and baby if Uno saves up 500 dollars over the summer. Uno starts to look for a job, but he is unable to find one.

Eventually, Sofia forces Danny to come with her and her friends to the fair. They go outside to catch their ride, but Uncle Ray sees Uno in the car and demands to know if he is the one who punched Danny. Danny covers for Uno and says his injury was an accident. The kids go to the fair together and Danny gets drunk for the first time in his life. Danny plays a pitching game at the carnival and throws a 92 mph ball, which is the fastest anyone has ever seen.

Danny starts practicing his pitching at Las Palmas Park, where his father used to play. One day, Uno and Sofie take a walk together and see Danny in the park. Uno apologizes to Sofia for hitting Danny. She leaves, and Uno approaches Danny. Danny is frightened at first, but he asks Uno to practice with him. He throws a hard ball at Uno in retaliation for the stitches, then Uno laughs. The boys continue to practice together for several days, then decide to start a hustle in which they con players from around the area to bet them that Danny can hit three balls without striking out. Danny is eager to help his friend earn money to go live with his father, and wants to earn money to go see his father, too, but he is afraid he might get nervous and let them both down. Danny is excellent at baseball, but under pressure he chokes, like he did during tryouts at his private school last fall. The boys meet a kid named Camelo and try to hustle him, but Danny chokes and Camelo wins 20 dollars.

One night, Danny’s uncle comes home drunk and starts kissing his girlfriend, so Danny sneaks out of the house and goes to the liquor store to buy a magazine. On the same night, Uno gets into a fight with his violent stepfather and leaves his house. He goes to the same liquor store and meets up with Danny. Uno invites Danny to come with him to his special spot down by the train tracks. Uno tells Danny he has to get out of his own head and embrace his own talent. When a train passes by, they feel its power, and both of them agree that the world contains a supernatural and godly power to it that neither of them can put into words.

The boys do make another bet with a kid named Marzel. Danny conquers his nerves and they win money. Uno takes Danny with him to meet Senior, who talks to them about God. The boys approach Camelo again and make another bet with him. They win, but Camelo and his friends attempt to take their money back. A fight breaks out and a man who Danny assumes is a baseball scout, since he is always watching Danny play, breaks it up.

Danny earns enough money to go see his father, but stays in National City instead. He starts to fall in love with a girl named Liberty who does not speak English. They go to a party together and talk to one another without understanding what the other is saying. Danny gets a call from his mother, who says she is leaving her boyfriend and returning home to San Diego to focus on her children. Sofia tells Danny that his father once hit his mother. Danny goes with his Uncle Ray to pick up groceries and experiences the violent side of his uncle, who runs over a man and then beats him unconscious with his friends over a small disagreement.

Danny and Uno go to a professional baseball game. Danny sees the baseball scout selling hot dogs. He approaches him and learns that he was in prison with his father, who asked the man to keep an eye on Danny. Danny is shocked to learn that his father is not in Mexico, but down the road in prison. Back home, Danny cuts his wrist. Sofia finds him and brings him into her room, then sits up with him all night.

Uno takes Danny to his prep school and together they challenge the best kid on the team, Kyle Sorenson. Danny pitches while Kyle attempts to hit. Kyle eventually hits three, but not before Danny shows off his tremendous skill in front of the coach. Danny and Uno have a goodbye dinner with Liberty and Sofia on the night before Danny’s mother is set to pick up Danny and Sofia, who is going to live with him for the semester. Uno is planning on moving in with his father before school starts. Danny kisses Liberty goodbye and they make plans to see one another soon. Danny and Uno go back to the train tracks. Uno tells Danny he found out the visiting hours for Danny’s father, then asks if he wants to go see him the next morning. Danny agrees. The boys stay at the tracks all night and watch the sunrise.