About The Book:
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.
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.
Now on to the interview!
Now on to the interview!
Hey Ryan!! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad
you could stop by for a chat! CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS sounds
AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
For
the readers: can you tell us a little bit about the CHARLIE HERNANDEZ
AND THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS and the characters?
Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows is about
a boy named Charlie, who, thanks to his grandmother, grows up hearing myths and
legends from all over the Spanish-speaking world. Slowly he begins to realize
that those stories might be more than just make-believe and before he knows it
Charlie finds himself teaming up with Violet Rey (investigative journalist
extraordinaire) as the two of them embark on a wild adventure through the heart
of Miami Dade County (which just so happens to be my hometown—yay!). At
its core, the story is about friendship and family and how culture is passed
down through generations. And, of course, there are plenty of funnies!
How
many more books are planned for the series?
The sequel hits shelves Nov. 12, so counting that
one, about three more.
Were
any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
Not really, but the description for probably the
most physically imposing character in the book was inspired by my itty-bitty
little Maltese/Havanese mix.
Who
was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
I’d say Violet was my favorite. She’s just so spontaneous
and brave—not to mention brilliant!
Honestly, I don’t have a
least favorite. I enjoyed writing all of them. (Even the bad ones!)
What is your
favorite passages/scenes in CHARLIE HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF
SHADOWS?
When Charlie and Violet go on a wild underground
ride on that rickety old mine cart. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of
rollercoasters, so I had a lot of fun writing that scene.
What
kind of research did you have to do for the story?
I spent a few afternoons at my local library,
digging up information on the lesser-known myths. But the research phase didn’t
actually take that long because I was already pretty familiar with most of the
stories. Growing up, I wasn’t exactly the best behaved kid on the planet, so to
entertain me and keep me from running amok my grandmothers would tell me all
the different legends and folktales they’d learned as children. They were my
main sources of information, as well as inspiration.
Who
is your ultimate book villain?
Captain Hook. That pirate haunted my dreams for
years!
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White. The
moment I finished it I knew I wanted to write a children’s book.
Lightning
Round Questions
What
are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to
read?
I’m currently reading The Last Life
of Prince Alastor by Alexandra Bracken.
What
Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?
Gryffindor!
Twitter
or Facebook?
Twitter!
Favorite
Superhero?
Superman, duh!
Favorite
TV show?
The Simpsons!
Sweet
or Salty?
Sweet!
Any
Phobias?
Just one: Nomophobia (the fear of
being without a cellphone)
Song
you can’t get enough of right now?
I’ve had “Love you like a love
song,” by Selena Gomez stuck in my head since about 2011, so I’ll go with that!
2019 Movie
you’re most looking forward to?
CATS! Judi
Dench, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen—need I say more?
Thanks so
much Ryan for answering my questions! I can’t read for everyone to read CHARLIE
HERNANDEZ AND THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS!
About Ryan:
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.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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