Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows

by Ryan Calejo

  El Cambiador: an extraordinarily gifted crossbreed who can partially manifest any animal trait found in nature. Spanish for “the Morphling” or “the Changer.”

  Cherufe: evil magma monsters that live deep inside active volcanoes in Chile. They are said to be responsible for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

  chullachaquis: jungle dwarfs with the ability to take the form of both animals and humans. They are considered by many to be protectors of the Amazon. The only way to identify one is to keep an eye out for its backward foot.

  comelenguas: literally translates to “tongue-eaters.” These giant birds feed primarily on the tongues of cattle. Most sightings have been reported in Honduras.

  La Cuca: a legendary witch and bogeywoman known by many names (Coco, Cuco, Coca, Cucuy). Her stories were first told centuries ago in Portugal and Galicia, where she was described as a fire-breathing dragon.

  duendes: a race of gnome-like beings found throughout Central and South America and the Iberian Peninsula.

  La Fuente de la Juventud (the Fountain of Youth): a magical water source capable of granting immortality.

  jentil (plural: jentilak): race of giants believed to dwell in the mountainous regions of northern Spain.

  El Justo Juez: a legendary Salvadoran figure who prowls the night on horseback in search of evildoers. His name translates as “Righteous Judge,” and it is said that the night belongs to him and him alone.

  La Llorona or “Weeping Woman”: the spirit of a once young and beautiful woman who, in a fit of jealous rage, drowned her two children to spite her cheating husband.

  La Luz Mala: unnatural glowing orbs said to lead unsuspecting travelers into danger. Most often encountered in the swamplands and marshes of Uruguay and Argentina. The name literally means “Evil Light.”

  Madremonte: the protector of the jungles and mountains of Colombia. “Mother Mountain” is considered by some to be the personification of nature itself and sometimes curses those who steal their neighbors’ land or harm animals.

  muki: cave-dwelling goblinlike creatures found throughout South America. They possess the ability to transform rock into precious metals and are said to make pacts with miners—many times to the miners’ harm.

  nahual: a shape-shifting witch or sorcerer capable of transforming itself into animals, most commonly large dogs, jaguars, or birds. Legends of the nahual first appear in Mesoamerican culture.

  Oókempán: a species of ogres with turtlelike shells on their backs. In Argentina and Chile, it is believed that any child playing unsupervised is at risk of being kidnapped by these monsters.

  La Sihuanaba: a shape-shifting horse-faced demon. She preys primarily on disobedient children and unfaithful men. She is known by many names (Cigua in Honduras, Segua in Costa Rica, and Siguanaba in El Salvador), and her legend is told almost everywhere Spanish is spoken.

  El Sombrerón: a fearsome bogeyman known throughout Guatemala and Mexico for braiding hair (both human and animal), wearing a ridiculously oversize hat, and serenading young maidens with his fabled silver guitar.

  tartalos: a race of cave-dwelling one-eyed giants native to the Basque region of Spain. They are known for eating a sheep a day.

  El Tucano-yúa: known in Brazil as the bird of the evil eye. Its beak is said to be so deadly that it can kill both humans and animals simply by being pointed at them.

  zips: shy, spear-wielding, fairylike creatures most often spotted protecting herds of deer in Central America.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  RYAN CALEJO was born and raised in South Florida. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Miami and spends most of his free time coming up with excuses to go hang out at the beach. When he isn’t lazing out on the sand or working on his doggy paddle, Ryan can be found purchasing more books than should be legally permitted or sampling artisan olive oils—yes, that’s a thing. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called Captial of Latin America, Ryans knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to. Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows is his first novel.

  ALADDIN

  SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

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  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  First Aladdin hardcover edition October 2018

  Text copyright © 2018 by Ryan Calejo

  Jacket illustration copyright © 2018 by Manuel Sumberac

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

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  Jacket designed by Karin Paprocki

  Interior designed by Hilary Zarycky

  The text of this book was set in Adobe Jenson Pro.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Calejo, Ryan, author. | Title: Charlie Hernández and the league of shadows / by Ryan Calejo. | Description: First Aladdin hardcover edition. | New York : Aladdin, 2018. | Summary: Steeped in Hispanic folklore since childhood, middle schooler Charlie Hernández learns the stories are true when, shortly after his parents’ disappearance, he grows horns and feathers and finds himself at the heart of a battle to save the world.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2018014304 (print) | LCCN 2018020929 (eBook) | ISBN 9781534426603 (eBook) | ISBN 9781534426580 (hardcover)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Shapeshifting—Fiction. | Folklore—Latin America—Fiction. | Secret societies—Fiction. | Good and evil—Fiction. | Missing persons—Fiction. | Hispanic Americans—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / United States / Hispanic & Latino. | JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.C312 (eBook) | LCC PZ7.1.C312 Ch 2018 (print) |

  DCC [Fic]—dc23 | LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018014304