Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: a Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

Marc Notes: Thanks to Luis Humberto Crosthwaite and Carla Gonzalez Campos for their translation. And to Flor de Maria Oliva for her edit of the Spanish; Book cover and design by homeboy Sergio Gomez--opposite t.p.; Eleven-year-old Margarito, a big fan of the form of wrestling known as lucha libre, begins to suspect that he has a close connection with his favorite luchador, El Angel de La Guardia, the Guardian Angel.; Parallel text in English and Spanish.; ALA children's award.; Pura Belpre Author Honor, 2012."Brief Description: Eleven-year-old Margarito, a big fan of the form of wrestling known as lucha libre, begins to suspect that he has a close connection with his favorite luchador, El Angel de La Guardia, the Guardian Angel. Review Quotes:"The plot unfolds, in both English and Spanish, as Maximilian comes face-to-face with El Angel, and what develops is a rapid sequence of holds and high-flying adventures. Garza--an author, artist, and storyteller--paints larger-than-life portraits of the luchadores and offers readers authentic insights into the exciting world of lucha libre ... Bold, black-and-white comic-style art opens each chapter and gives readers a sense of what the luchadores look like. With its quick pace, humor, and endearing characters, this title -- like Garza's picture book Lucha Libre (2005) -- is sure to turn more kids into lucha libre fans." -- Booklist"Xavier Garza successfully captures the excitement that Max, an eleven-year-old Mexican-American boy, displays when he discovers that his favorite Lucha Libre wrestler is coming to town and might have a strange connection with his own family! This action packed bilingual mystery novel uses playful language that reinforces elements of Mexican-American culture and overflows with almost unbridled excitement for Lucha wrestling." -- The Pura Belpre CommitteeBrief Description: Spanish title taken from P. [4] of cover. Brief Description: A young fan of lucha libre Mexican wrestling makes a connection to his battling hero, the Angel de la Guarda (the Guardian Angel). Review Quotes:"Garza--an author, artist, and storyteller--paints larger-than-life portraits of the luchadores and offers readers authentic insights into the exciting world of lucha libre ... Bold, black-and-white comic-style art opens each chapter and gives readers a sense of what the luchadores look like. With its quick pace, humor, and endearing characters, this title -- like Garza's picture book "Lucha Libre" (2005) -- is sure to turn more kids into lucha libre fans." -- Booklist "Garza's masterful illustrations and the many well-written action scenes make this a must-read for middle-grade boys."--The Monitor "This action packed bilingual mystery novel uses playful language that reinforces elements of Mexican-American culture and overflows with almost unbridled excitement for Lucha wrestling." -- The Pura Belpre Committee "Garza captures the excitement of the wrestling matches with energetically descriptive passages ... This action-packed winner of a 2012 Pura Belpre Author Honor Award is sure to be a favorite." -- Language Arts "Garza has done it again...a unique middle grade novel that pays homage to the Mexican tradition of masked wrestlers... We don't often see middle grade novels that are bilingual and that include male Latino protagonists. Garza and Cinco Puntos Press have really outdone themselves in hitting on all of these areas that are lacking in the world of children's books... Here's to more books like this in the near future!"--All Brown All Around "[An] engaging bilingual novel... Garza's writing captures the excitement of the wrestling matches."--Reading MattersPublisher Marketing: Margarito acts like any other eleven-year-old aficionado of lucha libre. He worships all the players. But in the summer just before sixth grade, he tumbles over the railing at a match in San Antonio and makes a connection to the world of Mexican wrestling that will ultimately connect him--maybe by blood!--to the greatest hero of all time: the Guardian Angel. A 2012 Pura Belpre Author Honor Award winner!Xavier Garza was born in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. An enthusiastic author, artist, teacher, and storyteller, his work is a lively documentation of the dreams, superstitions, and heroes in the bigger-than-life world of south Texas. Review Citations: School Library Journal 01/01/2012 pg. 103 (EAN 9781933693989, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Garza, Xavier Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Xavier Garza is a prolific author, artist, and storyteller whose work focuses primarily on his experiences growing up in the small border town of Rio Grande City. Garza has exhibited his art and performed his stories in venues throughout Texas, Arizona and the state of Washington.