Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows

by Ryan Calejo

Overview

“This is a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan’s many series, particularly for those eager for mythologies beyond Greek and Roman stories.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A winner for all kids, but it will be especially beloved by Latinx and Hispanic families.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Lightning Thief meets the Story Thieves series in this middle grade fantasy inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America.

Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.

But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.

Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).

No pressure, muchacho.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534426580
Publisher:	Aladdin
Publication date:	10/23/2018
Series:	Charlie Hern�ndez , #1
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	297,241
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Ryan Calejo is the author of the Charlie Hernández series. He was born and raised in south Florida, where he graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One CHAPTER ONE
Myths, my abuela used to say, are truths long forgotten by the world.

Which is probably why she collected them the way some people collect stamps. Or mugs with pictures of kittens on them. She gathered tales of enormous, horned, snakelike sea creatures, of two-headed vampire dogs with glowing red eyes, of terrifying man-eating ghouls that stalk the night, searching for naughty children to kidnap.

The myths came from all over the Spanish-speaking world. From Madrid to Quito. Mexico City to Buenos Aires. Most of them were hundreds of years old, almost as old as the cultures that had inspired them. Some had spread quickly around the globe, spread like wildfire. Others never even left the tiny rural towns where they’d first been told.

All her life my grandma had been obsessed with Hispanic mythology, with all the legends and stories and folklore, and had spent years teaching them to me.

When I was little we used to hang out in the kitchen on lazy Saturday afternoons, me in my Power Rangers pj’s and chancletas, my abuela telling her favorite tales from memory, making the epic battles and ghoulish monsters come to life with every gesture of her brown and wrinkled hands.

Afterward, she would quiz me on what I’d heard; we played this little game, sort of like Pictionary, where she’d draw a quick sketch of one of the characters, and I would have to guess who—or, in most cases, what—it was. If I got four in a row, she’d let me eat leche condensada right out of the can, which might’ve been the only thing I enjoyed more than listening to her stories.

At the time I thought it was all just for fun, a cool little game between the two of us. But I should’ve known better; my abuela hated party games.

Editorial Reviews

"Filled with action with fast-paced chapters, Calejo's novel is sure to draw in readers and introduce them to the magic, beauty, and history of Hispanic myths and legends (many of which are elaborated on further in a glossary for those unfamiliar with the stories). This is a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan's many series, particularly for those eager for mythologies beyond Greek and Roman stories."

Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

★ 2018-08-14

He's not the "chosen one"—but the bad guys think he is.

Mexican-born, American-raised Charlie Hernández just grew horns. And feathers. It's inconvenient. He's already feeling alone since his parents disappeared after their South Florida house burned down and he started living with Mrs. Wilson, an older woman who collects creepy-looking dolls. When the very cute, very cool Violet Rey discovers his secret, she becomes his unlikely companion as Charlie discovers a map inside an old locket, all he has left from his mother, that leads to a cemetery. All of a sudden, all the Hispanic (both Latin American and Iberian) myths he learned from his abuela leave the world of legend and reveal themselves in Miami—and everyone, good and bad, seems to be after Charlie. Legend and Catholicism mix to form a fantasy adventure that feels authentically Latin American in its syncretism. Charlie is smart, sensitive, and funny, and the characters he encounters, from La Llorona (Mexican-American) to El Sombrerón (Guatemalan) to La Cuca (Brazilian), are both consistent with their folkloric roots and distinctive in their own rights. Words in Spanish are introduced in italics and printed in Roman text thereafter, and Charlie naturally code switches when talking to the villains and heroes and translating for Violet. (Though her surname indicates possible Latinx heritage, she presents white and speaks no Spanish.) The ending very obviously hints at a sequel with a new adventure, but it does fully wrap up the story.

A winner for all kids, but it will be especially beloved by Latinx and Hispanic families who may recognize some of the characters. (glossary) (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

This magical adventure brings the Hispanic mythologies . . . to life . . . "the detailed attention to various Hispanic folkloric and mythological traditions is accessible to readers new to the legends as well as old hands, and this multicultural story proves to be a satisfying read for anyone interested in fantasy action."

October 2018 - BCCB

Texas Bluebonnet Award 2020-2021

International Latino Book Awards: 2nd Place in Best Youth Chapter Fiction Book, English

Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2020-2021 List for Grades 6-8

Florida Book Awards 2018 Gold Medalist for Older Children's Literature

From the Publisher

Narrator Giordan Diaz creates the perfect tone of excitement for this engaging fantasy audiobook. Charlie Hernandez doesn't know why he has sprouted both horns and feathers, but he soon realizes he will need all the knowledge of Hispanic folklore he has gained from his ABUELA to battle the forces of evil that have emerged in Miami. Diaz fills the character of Charlie with understandable dismay and wonder as he struggles to deal with his new reality. Charlie's use of Spanish words and phrases lends authenticity to the story and narration, and Diaz gives them just the right amount of emphasis. While his character voices are sometimes weak, his knack for theatrical line delivery creates both humor and drama. N.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile

Narrator Giordan Diaz creates the perfect tone of excitement for this engaging fantasy audiobook. Charlie Hernandez doesn't know why he has sprouted both horns and feathers, but he soon realizes he will need all the knowledge of Hispanic folklore he has gained from his ABUELA to battle the forces of evil that have emerged in Miami. Diaz fills the character of Charlie with understandable dismay and wonder as he struggles to deal with his new reality. Charlie's use of Spanish words and phrases lends authenticity to the story and narration, and Diaz gives them just the right amount of emphasis. While his character voices are sometimes weak, his knack for theatrical line delivery creates both humor and drama. N.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile