Charlie Hernandez the Castle of Bones by Ryan Calejo - ESSENTIAL

Charlie Hernandez the Castle of Bones by Ryan Calejo, 591 pages. Aladdin, 2019. $19.

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (Peril, Zombies, Monsters) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE, MS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

Charlie's adventures are not over! He's still morphing with strange animal parts like jaguar legs and gills, but it's still not under control. Although he's grounded and can't leave his room, when he hears that Queen Joanna has been kidnapped, Violet and Charlie head back into the world of Hispanic myth and folklore to try to rescue her and stop La Mano Peluda (again). The monsters in book two are more sinister, more scary - Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies! Someone is trying to bring back the dead, and as Abuela said, "when dead men walk, the living walk in fear." 

What a ride! The action doesn't stop from the beginning to the very end. Calejo's series reminds me of Artemis Fowl, so many battles, so many bad guys, one right after another. This is one of those series that I will eagerly anticipate each next book. Charlie is a great hero, magical (a little) lucky (a lot) with a great sidekick. I think both boys and girls will enjoy reading Charlie Hernandez. Book 2 is nearly 600 pages, but it's worth it.

Lisa Librarian