Excited to be hosting with
Rockstar Book Tours to shed some light on this novel. The first in a series which has a sequel coming out this November.
Title: CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF
SHADOWS (Charlie Hernández #1)
Author: Ryan Calejo
Pub. Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Aladdin
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 330
“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.
SUMMARY: 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.
CHAPTER ONE EXCERPT:
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.
Ryan Calejo was born and raised in
south Florida. He graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He’s been
invited to join both the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Golden
Key International Honour Society. 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. His first novel was Charlie Hernández & the
League of Shadows.
Giveaway
Details:
1
winner will win a signed hardcover of CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF
SHADOWS, US ONLY
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Tour
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