Author Alberto Álvaro Ríos tells this wonderfully conversational coming of age tale that is somewhat autobiographical. Ríos is an educator and an author, too, and still actively involved in the academic community. Check out his Web page:
Alberto Álvaro Ríos
Also, if you’d like to read a very interesting interviewGonflable Arche 13 with Ríos conducted for an English class at Northwest Arkansas Community College in October, 2001, check out this Web page:
Interview with Ríos
Of particular note, you may want to read an essay that Ríos wrote shortly after September 11, 2001. It’s quite poignant and, in a way, relates to “The Secret Lion” at least in terms of its theme of loss of innocence:
The Night of No Airplanes
Finally, you may want to read the story and have a copy of the assignment for “The Secret Lion.”
The Secret Lion
The Secret Lion Assignment