Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. National City is a suburb of what California city?

2. What is the goal of stickball that the boys play in Danny’s cul-de-sac in National City?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What inspires Uno’s confidence that he will be the most successful stickball player this summer?

2. Explain the circumstances that cause Danny’s head injury in Chapter 3?

Paired Resource

“Cruising returns to National City after 30-year ban is temporarily lifted”

• A “lowrider” is a car culture term that refers to a customized vehicle, originating in the mid-to-late 1940s. Lowriders, historically, have been important to the Mexican-American community, particularly in Los Angeles and many other California communities.
• In this video from May 2022, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on National City’s decision to temporarily lift their anti-cruising ordinance – a rule that had effectively banned the practice of driving lowriders throughout the city.
• What does this video tell you about the community and culture of National City, the main setting in which Mexican WhiteBoy takes place? How might an anti-cruising law have racist and/or other problematic implications?