Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask, by Xavier Garza

Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask: A Bilingual Cuento
by Xavier Garza
translated by Luis Humberto Crosthwaite
40 pages

©2005
El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos
ISBN 9780938317920



Annotation
Carlito, a young fan of lucha libre, attends a match with his Papa, only to find out that anyone could be a masked luchador -- and you'd never even know it!



Commentary
Young readers can learn more about "the poor man's theater" of Mexico: the dramatic world of professional wrestling. The text of this story is simple enough for the lower grades, but the topic is likely to appeal to tween boys. It can be used as an example of foreshadowing in a 6th-grade English class -- the early pages repeatedly bring up the point that "anyone could be a masked luchador", and the absent Tio Vicente "might show up when you least expect it", and though it isn't explicitly stated, readers will know Tio Vicente's secret by the end of the book. The oversized pop art focuses on the faces -- and fanciful masks -- of the characters and emphasizes the wrestlers' rippling muscles. Each page has both Spanish and English text, but the commentary following the story is only in English (in this edition).



Author Info
Media: acrylic paint