Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from the author. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Opinions shared are mine.
If there’s one thing I love about my job, it’s the chance to share amazing books with kids. Helping middle school students love to read might just be my superpower. This year, at least five students have asked me what they should read after the Percy Jackson series. For many of them, it’s their first introduction to a modern spin on mythology, and they want MORE. Until now, I’ve steered them toward more Riordan books, nonfiction, and the like. There’s a new sheriff in town now. Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows introduces kids to Hispanic mythology and lore. It’s a terrific way to get kids excited about reading!
Teachers, you could easily use Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows in a book club or lesson plan. Choose excerpts that include idioms such as “tuck tail and run” or “spilled the beans.” The back of the book contains a glossary that could be compared to traditional American folklore. What about looking at Spanish phrases used in the book, like “Ay mi madre!” and “que bueno”? There’s a lot to be learned from this book. The writing is rich and descriptive, complete with a storyline that young readers will power through. Calejo’s characters have the potential to become legends of their own!
I’ve already purchased the Audible version of Charlie Hernandez to listen with my kids in the car during our daily commute. It’s not often that I find a high-interest middle grades book that my two children can enjoy together.
Thanks to the generous author Ryan Calejo, one lucky reader will win a copy of the book plus a $25 VISA gift card! To enter the giveaway, visit the form below. Open to US readers ages 18+. Void where prohibited by law. Good luck!
About the Book:
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).
Christmas Cheer Bonus Words
12/2 Hispanic
12/3 folklore
12/4 legends
12/5 myths
12/6 sequel
12/7 Latin America
12/8 South America
12/9 Iberian Peninsula
12/10 morphling
12/11 La Liga
12/12 monstruos
12/13 magica
12/14 visions
12/15 history
12/16 adventure
I’d love for my grandson to read this book so it can introduce him to mythology!
This sounds like a great gift idea for my niece! She loves to read all types of books.
My sons would love this book. I’ve always found mythology so interesting and hope they will love it too.
What an awesome looking cover!
Love the fantasy and cultural components of this book. I think it would be great for my nephew!
what inspires you to write?
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I am excited to learn more about this book. I have not read a good fantasy book in a long time.
What is your favorite book of all time (besides the ones you have written)?
This sounds like a great book that my grandson would love.
This book sounds intriguing. How did you think of the plot?
The cover and title are very cool.
Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.
I love the suggestions for how to incorporate the book into a school lesson plan.
Great cover looking good
I don’t know much about Hispanic mythology. This sounds interesting.
My nephew would really enjoy this book. Thanks for sharing.
Very imaginative book! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d like this for my grandson! I really think he would enjoy it!
This looks so interesting. I know its cliche but my daughter has been interested in learning more about Latin culture since seeing Coco.
I like the cover, sounds like a book my nephew would enjoy.
I would read this book myself and then pass it on to my one brother to read also.
I look forward to reading this!
Sounds like an interesting book for kids!
This sounds like a book my daughter and I would both enjoy! The cover is great too!
I think this one would be fun for my niece & I to read together.
This is a book that I would like my son to read. About tough decisions.
My grandsons would enjoy reading this book, I know my oldest grandboy would really enjoy this.
@tisonlyme143
I would be interested in this book because of it’s cultural component! Looks good!
Interesting cover
I like the book cover design. This sounds like a good fantasy adventure.
sounds like a fun one
This looks like a great read that I think my grandson would enjoy very much.
I think the book sounds great and I would love to read it.
Sounds like a interesting book would love to read it.
I’m excited to share this book with my daughter!
Where did you the inspiration to write this?
I like the title and the cover. It looks like an interesting book, something my nieces will enjoy reading.