MAXIMILIAN AND THE LUCHA LIBRE CLUB- A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

Written and Illustrated by Xavier Garza

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 2 - 7

Series: Max's Lucha Libre Adventures

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press; Bilingual edition     

ISBN-10: 1941026419

ISBN-13: 978-1941026410

Max seems like any other nerdy kid until he's asked to 

join the ranks of royalty, the Lucha Libre Club.

The fights still rage on in the third installation of Max's Lucha Libre Adventures series. Max seems like any other nerdy kid until he's asked to join the Lucha Libre Club. The super-secret club admits only the offspring of wrestling royalty. And Max is a prince, descended through his mother from royal blood, his uncle the very king of lucha libre: The Guardian Angel. Trouble is, the club is so secret that Max can't tell his best friend or girlfriend what he is up to. Just that vexing girl, Paloma.

The fights still rage on in the third installation of Max's Lucha Libre Adventures series. Max seems like any other nerdy kid until he's asked to join the Lucha Libre Club. The super-secret club admits only the offspring of wrestling royalty. And Max is a prince, descended through his mother from royal blood, his uncle the very king of lucha libre: The Guardian Angel. Trouble is, the club is so secret that Max can't tell his best friend or girlfriend what he is up. Just that vexing Paloma.

Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, author and luche libre aficionado 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. Garza lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife Irma and their young son Vincent.

Garza is author and illustrator of several lucha libre picture books for children. His lucha libre middle grade series began in 2005 with Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask and quickly became a hit among children and lucha libre fans. Lucha Libre won an Honor Book, Américas Award and a STARRED REVIEW from Críticas Magazine.

His bilingual lucha libre cuento, Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel, was chosen as a 2012 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book.

This is the third book in the series.

Maximilian Books

Maximilian & the Bingo Rematch: A Lucha Libre Sequel

Maximilian & the Bingo Rematch is the sequel to Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel, an honor book for the Pura Belpre Award. Xavier Garza rules the ring when it comes to writing and illustrating action-packed, high-interest books filled with crazy comic-book art and set in the emotionally charged world of sixth grade.

In Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel, Max tumbles over the railing at a lucha match in San Antonio and makes a connection to the world of Mexican wrestling that will ultimately link him to the greatest hero of all time: the Guardian Angel. He also falls in love with the beautiful Cecilia Cantú. In Maximilian & the Bingo Rematch, suddenly everybody seems to be fighting: a couple of cranky tías who, like lucha libre rudos, will stop at nothing to triumph in the church's lotería game; his masked uncles going for the tag-team title of the world; and a green-eyed vixen named Paloma who challenges his love for Cecilia. Will good triumph over evil? Max sure hopes so!

Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: 

A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller

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 Belpré Author Honor Book