Matt de la Pena made the headlines as he was able to bring honor to his country after being named as the first Latino author to win a Newbery Medal for his children's book.

As per The Flama website, de la Pena won a John Newbery medal for his book entitled, "Last Stop on the Market," last Monday. The award, which is a bronze medal, was given by the American Library Association.

The story revolves around a boy and his grandmother, wherein they would both ride the city bus in Los Angeles. While doing so, the boy started questioning his grandmother on why some people don't have cars. He then met several people along the way, making his journey more exciting. As the story progresses, the boy started to realize how blessed he is and realized the essence of gratitude.

As per Daily Mail, de la Pena then released a statement via his publisher, Penguin Young Readers, wherein he urged young writers to pursue their dreams stating, "I hope all the brilliant Hispanic writers of the past and present view this as a recognition of our diverse community and that it inspires young Hispanics coming up to read their way through the world and consider a path in the arts."

As for the illustrator who worked with de la Pena, Christian Robinson stated that the book is filled with diverse characters which could give them a wider audience.

As per NPR, Robinson also mentioned that he and de la Pena purposely designed the book with different nationalities for them to reach more readers world-wide.

Robinson told NPR that, "This is a book that features an African-American boy and his African-American grandmother, I think sometimes in the past those books were set aside for kids of color. I really, really hope that everybody reads this. I hope suburban white children ... read this book as well."

As for the author on the other hand, de la Pena told NPR that he himself grew up in a neigborhood near the U.S.-Mexico border wherein he was exposed to different walks of life. He may not be privileged, but his childhood opened up his eyes in seeing the world in a different perspective.

During his interview, de la Pena stated, "We never had quite enough, but we made it work. And I think my goal with everything I write ... is to kind of show the grace and dignity on the 'wrong side of the tracks.'"