Inspired by Latinx folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this "clever, funny, and entertaining" (Kirkus Reviews) third book in the Charlie Hernández series follows Charlie as he faces off against an army of the dead. After hitchhiking across Central and South America to rescue the Witch Queen and face off against La Mano Peluda, Charlie Hernández is pretty much grounded for life. But after all he's been through, some quiet time at home with his parents might be nice. Though it would be better if he didn't have to share his room with his obnoxiously perfect cousin Raúl, who's staying with them. But quiet is hard to come by when you're the fifth and final morphling, and it's not long before death walks back into Charlie's life. Or at least, the dead do, starting with a mysterious young calaca who corners him at school, dropping cryptic hints about trouble brewing in the 305. With the League of Shadows focused on repairing fractured alliances and tracking gathering armies, this one's up to Charlie to solve. Following the clues only leads to more questions, and not even teenage investigative journalist extraordinaire Violet Rey can figure out how a sudden rooster infestation, earthquakes, missing persons, and a pet-napping gang of lizard-men--whom Charlie doesn't recognize from any legend--are all connected. Most concerning of all is when they learn a map has been stolen that reveals the locations of the Golden Dooms, the twelve ancient calaca watchmen who form the magical barrier between the realms. To stop the impending invasion, Charlie and Violet must outwit an ancient evil and unravel the most sinister of schemes. That is, unless they'd rather watch the Land of the Living get overrun by the dead.

“A perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A winner for all kids, but it will be especially loved 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 Peluda (a.k.a. the Hairy 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.

The first three books in the Latinx mythology-inspired Charlie Hernandez middle grade series are now together in a collectible hardcover boxed set-perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and The Storm Runner! Thanks to his abuela's stories, Charlie Herna ndez possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the mythological monsters that haunt Latinx folklore. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie always assumed she was only messing with him. That is, until he begins to experience some freaky bodily manifestations-ones all too similar to those described by his abuela in his favorite legend. The next thing he knows, Charlie finds himself swept up in the middle of a millennia-old war between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Peluda (a.k.a. the Hairy Hand), a cabal of evil sombras determined to rule mankind. With the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother's stories to guide him, Charlie must embrace his ancient destiny in a journey that will take him across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world in face-offs against ancient undead evils. At least, if he wants to live long enough to graduate from middle school... No pressure, muchacho. This thrilling hardcover boxed set includes: Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows Charlie Hernandez & the Castle of Bones Charlie Hernandez & the Golden Dooms

"Well worth it for ravenous fans of quest stories." --Kirkus Reviews "A highly recommended adventure series" --School Library Journal Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this bold sequel to Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows, which Booklist called "a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan" in a starred review, follows Charlie as he continues on his quest to embrace his morphling identity. Charlie Hernandez still likes to think of himself as a normal kid. But what's normal about being a demon-slaying preteen with an encyclopedic knowledge of Latino mythology who can partially manifest nearly any animal trait found in nature? Well, not much. But, Charlie believes he can get used to this new "normal," because being able to sprout wings or morph fins is pretty cool. But there is a downside: it means having to constantly watch his back for La Mano Peluda's sinister schemes. And when the leader of La Liga, the Witch Queen Jo herself, is suddenly kidnapped, Charlie's sure they're at it again. Determined to save the queen and keep La Liga's alliances intact, Charlie and his good friend Violet Rey embark on a perilous journey to track down her captors. As Charlie and Violet are drawn deeper into a world of monstruos and magia they are soon left with more questions than answers--like, why do they keep hearing rumors of dead men walking, and why is Charlie suddenly having visions of an ancient evil: a necromancer priest who's been dead for more than five centuries? Charlie's abuela once told him that when dead men walk, the living run in fear. And Charlie's about to learn the truth of that--the hard way.