Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows (Charlie Hernández #1)

by Ryan Calejo (Author)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

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.

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ALA/Booklist

Starred Review
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.

Kirkus

Starred Review

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.

Review quotes



Ryan Calejo
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.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534426597
Lexile Measure
780
Guided Reading Level
R
Publisher
Simon & Schuster
Publication date
October 22, 2019
Series
Charlie Hernández
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
JUV012070 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Caribbean & Latin American
Library of Congress categories
Folklore
JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / United S
Missing persons
Good and evil
Shapeshifting
Hispanic Americans
JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
Secret societies
Latin America

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