Using Young Adult Literature to Provide Case Studies for Discussion of Bullying: An Analysis of the 2014 Pura Belpré Award Winner

Analyzing Meg Medina’s young adult novel Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (2013) through the lens of multidisciplinary research on school bullying provides a case study in using young adult literature (YAL) to stimulate high school discussions about bullying. Strategies for using anti-bullying YAL and recommendations of additional resources by and about Latinas/os are provided. Medina’s novel, which earned the 2014 Pura Belpre Award recognizing excellence in the portrayal of the Latina/o experience, challenges teen hesitation to report bullying and demonstrates the need for peer and adult intervention in bullying