Matt de la Peña's debut novel, Ball Don't Lie, was published by Delacorte in September of 2005. The book will soon be a major motion picture starring Ludacris, Nick Cannon, Emelie de Ravin, Grayson Boucher, and Rosanna Arquette (Night and Day Pictures). The book was named as an ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and an ALA-YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.

In August of 2008 de la Peña's second novel, Mexican WhiteBoy, was released by Delacorte, and his short story “Last Red Light Before We’re There” appeared in the anthology Does This Book Make Me Look Fat. Mexican WhiteBoy was a ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (Top Ten Pick), a 2009 Notable Book for a Global Society, a Junior Library Guild Selection and it made the 2008 Bulletin for the Center of Children's Literature Blue Ribbon List.

Matt's third novel, We Were Here, released by Delacorte in October 2009, was an ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA-YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, a Junior Library Guild Selection and was named to the 2010 NYC Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age list.

In October 2010, Matt's fourth novel, I Will Save You, will be released by Random House, and in January 2011 his first picture book, Joe Louis: A Nation's Hope (Illustrated by Kadir Nelson) will be released by Dial Press.

He has also published short fiction in various literary journals, including: Pacific Review, The Vincent Brothers Review, Chiricú, George Mason Review, and Allegheny Literary Review.

Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball.

de la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY -- he teaches creative writing at NYU and visits high schools and colleges all over.