We Were Here

We Were Here

• Genre: Fiction; young adult realistic contemporary
• Originally Published: 2009
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 770L; grades 9-12
• Structure/Length: A series of dated or named journal entries; approx. 368 pages; approx. 11 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Sent to a juvenile home for an offense not clarified until the story’s end, teenager Miguel Casteñada keeps a journal required by his sentencing that relays his experiences in the group home, his escape with two other juvenile residents, and his travels and observances along the way.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Cultural identity and racial identity; juvenile delinquency; language; suicide; suicidal ideation; underage drinking; physical abuse; sexual abuse

Matt de la Peña, Author

• Bio: Born in San Diego, California; attended University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship; earned graduate degree in creative writing at San Diego State University; writer of short fiction, essays, and a Newbery Award-winning picture book (Last Stop on Market Street, 2015); creative writing instructor; now lives in Brooklyn, New York
• Other Works: Ball Don’t Lie (2005); Mexican Whiteboy (2008); The Living (2013)
• Awards: ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults; ALA-YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers; NYC Public Library Stuff for the Teens (2010); Junior Library Guild Selection

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Coming of Age
• Ambivalence Toward Relationships
• The Acceptance of Mortality

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and psychological contexts regarding group homes and depression that drive Miguel’s conflict.
• Analyze short paired texts and other resources that make connections via the text’s themes of Coming of Age, Ambivalence Toward Relationships, and The Acceptance of Mortality.
• Write and present journal entries that demonstrate the events that occur following Miguel’s return to the Lighthouse using details from the novel.
• Analyze and evaluate the author’s purpose and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding Miguel’s ethnic background, the author’s narrative choice, and other topics.