Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass

Meg Medina's Pura Belpré Award-winning novel tackles the harsh realities of bullying through the eyes of Piddy Sanchez, a Latina teen. Piddy finds herself the target of Yaqui Delgado, a girl she doesn't even know, who believes Piddy is 'stuck-up' and 'not Latina enough.' The story unflinchingly portrays the escalating harassment, Piddy's isolation, and her struggle to balance this terror with her home life and search for her absent father. It's a raw, honest look at how bullying impacts a young person's life, forcing Piddy to confront her fears, find her inner strength, and ultimately decide who she is. This book is ideal for young adult readers aged 12-18, offering a powerful narrative for discussing bullying, identity, and resilience.

Winner of the 2014 Pura Belpré Author Award In Meg Medina’s compelling new novel, a Latina teen is targeted by a bully at her new school — and must discover resources she never knew she had. One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is.