Libros en Espanol Books

Publisher's Weekly
Gr 5-8-Paco is only 10 years old when he receives an unexpected inheritance of an odd assortment of colored tights, boxers, and a cape. He soon learns that the clothing belonged to a superhero called Capit n Matraca (Captain Boring). Unbeknownst to the family, his uncle had been living in the village of San Bartolo Chico in the guise of this quirky superhero with very limited powers. He died in action in his latest adventure attempting to put down an insurrection of mutant vegetables. Paco, his mother, and his older sister all depart for the village so that he can step into his uncle's shoes (well, actually, his tights). This ingenious tale told in the first person takes wild flights of fancy as Paco bumbles from episode to episode, fighting with the mutant vegetables, landing in a surreal TV-land where he battles infernal puppies, and undoing the curse of the cuckoo clock. All of this fantasy is grounded within the very typical family life of an ordinary boy who must mind his mother and suffer the indignities heaped upon him by his bossy sister. Although he tries his best to fulfill his duties as protector of this little village, Paco is very conscious of his status as a child and is greatly relieved when he can return to his normal life. Colorful illustrations with cartoonlike characters further enliven the text. This book will appeal to middle school students for its imaginative and playful story. The language is age-appropriate without sliding too far in the direction of teen slang. Highly recommended for schools, public libraries, and bookstores.
Maria Otero-Boisvert, "Criticas" Copyright 2002.

My 9 year old son read this book for a book report (4th grade Spanish immersion). He is required to read books over 80 pages long, and it is sometimes challenging to find a book that is both interesting and at the appropriate vocabulary level. He rated this book a 9/10 because it was exciting, he liked the characters, and it was not too difficult to read. The Mayan names were a little challenging at first but he seemed to enjoy the sound of the unusual names once he got used to it. The book got too preachy at the end when the gods were urging the hero to care for the environment (yes, we got it..) but otherwise the book was fun to read.