Matthew de la Peña is an American writer of children's books who specializes in novels for young adults.

[1][2] A San Diego, California, native,[3] Matt de la Peña received his BA from University of the Pacific, which he attended on a basketball scholarship.

He then received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University.

[4] The novel was banned from classrooms in Tucson, Arizona, starting in 2012, when lawmakers passed laws to remove materials containing "critical race theory,"[5] until 2017, when the court ruled the law violated the constitutional rights of Mexican American students.

In 2021, he published Milo Imagines the World, which was named to the 2022 Bank Street Children's Best Books of the Year List with an "Outstanding Merit" distinction and shared the committee's Josette Frank Award with Angeline Boulley's Firekeeper's Daughter.