Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Ryan Calejo Biography:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ryan-Calejo/130172738

Activities & Resources:

Activities:

Charlie’s abuela would quiz him about the different monsters from Latin American myths and legends. She would use a pictionary type game to test Charlie’s memory. Create a game using the glossary on page 327 to test kids’ knowledge of all the myths, legends, and magical characters introduced in the book.

Calavera coloring pages:

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/dia-de-los-muertos-sugar-skull

Create paper marigold flowers similar to the marigolds on La Llorona’s nails:

https://tinkerlab.com/simple-paper-marigolds-dia-de-los-muertos/

Create and draw your own version of a morphling.

Learn about the meaning of flowers on Dia De Los Muertos:

https://blog.teleflora.com/meaning-flowers-dia-de-los-muertos/

Myths & Legends:

Learn about the religion, gods, and mythology of the Aztec Empire:

https://www.ducksters.com/history/aztec_empire/religion_gods_and_mythology.php

Learn about the religion, gods, and mythology of the Mayan Empire:

https://www.ducksters.com/history/maya/religion_and_mythology.php

Learn about the religion, gods, and mythology of the Inca Empire:

https://www.ducksters.com/history/inca/mythology_and_religion.php

Places:

Mexico:

https://www.ducksters.com/geography/country/mexico.php

Central America:

https://www.ducksters.com/geography/centralamerica.php

South America:

https://www.ducksters.com/geography/southamerica.php

MakerSpace Activities:

Create a digital gallery of all of the different myths mentioned in the story using Google Slides, Emaze, or some other type of presentation site.

Using Legos build a model of a Provencia to protect the members of the League of Shadows.

Update Charlie and Violet’s tandem bike to help them fight the mythical creatures sent by La Mano Peluda.

Create interactive mythical character baseball cards. Each card will have a QR code that accesses information about the character.

Discussion Questions:

What did Charlie’s abuela mean when she said, “myths...are truths long forgotten by the world?”

Are there any stories, myths, or legends your family members share?

Why was Charlie embarrassed in the police station after his parents went missing?

How did Charlie feel when the horns disappeared? Why was the appearance of feathers four weeks later worse than the horns?

Charlie keeps his mom’s locket - the only thing left of hers - with him at all times. Do you have an item that is sentimental to you?

Why did Violet save Charlie from Alice and her friends?

Why doesn’t Charlie tell his best friends about the feathers?

Why does Violet want to help Charlie figure out the mystery of the locket?

Why is Charlie willing to risk his safety to find out where the map in the locket leads?

How did Violet react when Charlie revealed his feathers? What did Charlie think of her reaction? What does Violet’s reaction tell us about her?

How did Abuela’s teachings help Charlie when he had a run in with a Calaca?

Why did Charlie’s appearance frighten the Calaca?

What hints did the author include to warn the audience about the Crying Psychic? Why do you think Charlie and Violet didn’t see the warning signs?

What is the El Cambiador or morphling prophecy? Why is prophecy hopeful?

How does Charlie feel when he realizes he could be the Morphling?

La Llorona’s scream makes children feel tremendously sad. Why does the feeling of sadness make the children want to stay in her house?

Why are Charlie and Violet such a good team?

Why doesn’t Charlie tell Sam and Alvin about his transformation?

Why was Charlie so disappointed when La Llorona’s tears didn’t work on him?

How did Charlie feel finding out that he could be the key to saving the world from La Mano Peluda?

Book Talk Teasers:

Watch the book trailer for Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows.

Present the readers theater for Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows.

Read Alikes:

Mythology:

Armstrong, Kelley. Loki’s Wolves. Thirteen-year-old Matt Thorsen has always known he's a modern-day descendent of Thor. In fact, most people in the small town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki. But now Ragnarok is coming, and it's up to the champions to fight in the place of the long-dead gods. (Novelist Plus)

Cervantes, Jennifer. The Storm Runner. To prevent the Mayan gods from battling each other and destroying the world, thirteen-year-old Zane must unravel an ancient prophecy, stop an evil god, and discover how the physical disability that makes him reliant on a cane also connects him to his father and his ancestry. (Novelist Plus)

McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Summer of the Mariposas. In an adventure reminiscent of Homer's Odyssey, fifteen-year-old Odilia and her four younger sisters embark on a journey to return a dead man to his family in Mexico, aided by La Llorona, but impeded by a witch, a warlock, chupacabras, and more. (Novelist Plus)

Riordan, Rick. The Red Pyramid. Brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane accidentally unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes the doctor to oblivion and forces his two children to embark on a dangerous journey, bringing them closer to the truth about their family and its links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs. (Novelist Plus)

Kids Save the Day:

Gidwitz, Adam. The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande. A frightening report from the Texas-Mexico border: something has completely drained the blood from a cow’s body! The team must fly to Laredo, where tempers are running high. Can the Unicorn Rescue Society save the region’s animals and help bring a divided community together once more? (Novelist Plus)

Lerangis, Peter. The Colossus Rises. Teens Jack, Marco, Aly, and Cass begin a quest to find seven pieces of Atlantis' power that were hidden long ago and that will, if returned to Atlantis, save them from certain death due to the genetic abnormality that also gives them superior abilities. (Novelist Plus)

Northrop, Michael. Book of the Dead. When Alex Sennefer's mother uses the Lost Spells from the Egyptian Book of the Dead to bring her son from the brink of dying, she also brings back five Death Walkers, leaving Alex and his best friend to find his mother and save the world. (Novelist Plus)

Fantasy:

Barnhill, Kelly Regan. The Girl Who Drank the Moon. An epic fantasy about a young girl raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon, who must unlock the powerful magic buried deep inside her. (Novelist Plus)

Chokshi, Roshani. Aru Shah and The End of Time. Twelve-year-old Aru stretches the truth to fit in at her private school, but when she is dared to prove an ancient lamp is cursed, she inadvertently frees an ancient demon. (Novelist Plus)

Oppel, Kenneth. Silverwing. When a newborn bat named Shade but sometimes called "Runt" becomes separated from his colony during migration, he grows in ways that prepare him for even greater journeys. (Novelist Plus)