Maximilian and the Curse of the Fallen Angel

November 1, 2019
Grades 3-6 The fourth installment in Garza's lucha libre series finds Max facing major changes and struggling to adjust. Having a famous luchador in your family has its perks, like flying out to Mexico City to be an extra in the new Guardian Angel film, and one-on-one training sessions, which, Max is certain, will lead to one day inheriting Tio Rodolfo's mask and lucha persona. Unbeknownst to Max, Tio Rodolfo has big plans of his own, including announcing his engagement to Maya Escobedo (formerly the luchadora Silver Star) and retirement from the ring. Through Max's struggle to handle his hero's news, Garza reflects on the often-outsize expectations we heap onto our heroes, and the personal sacrifices they make to become athletes and entertainers. The steadily paced narrative, accented by offbeat characters and moments of sincerity and growth, resembles a tender family sitcom. The culminating scene sets up an exciting future rivalry and will keep fans anxiously waiting to read how it will play out. Spanish and English text are given equal importance and appear side by side.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)