Charlie Hernandez & Spanish Mythology

Latin American culture is full of terrifying mythological creatures that our parents used to scare us into good behavior!  The Charlie Hernandez books pull myths from several countries and weave them together into a story of good battling evil while teaching readers about these cultural tales.  And no, la chancla isn't one of them, but as any Latino kid knows...it should be...

Many of these myths have related forms in other Latin American countries.  As these areas were also settled by the Spanish explorers, you would expect to see this crossover.  Some of these creatures include:

• El Cuco - originating in Spain, the myth of El Cuco tells of a creature who will kidnap misbehaving children, so don't be one of the malcriados!
• El Chupacabra - in the rainforests of Puerto Rico, this half wolf / half reptile stalks bad little children and drains them of their sangre...one more reason for Boricuas to behave!
• El Sombrerón - hailing from Guatemala, El Sombrerón is the original Man in Black.  If he shows up playing his guitarra, it's going to be a bad night for you, hombre.
• Acalica - from Bolivia, the Acalica are even-tempered fairies that control the weather.  They try to stay in los sombras, but appear as tiny old men when they are spotted.
• La Llorona - originating in Mexico, La Llorona is said to have drowned both of her children when her husband left her.  Consumed by grief, she travels the world searching for hijos to call her own...
• El Culebrón - in Chile, this giant, half snake / half cow creature ventures from caves at night to eat todo it sees.  If you manage to tame un Culebrón, it is said that you'll have much wealth...as long as you continue to keep it happy...otherwise you, too will be eaten!

For this unit, Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows is our spine read.

Access the complete unit study in the World Mythology Unit Studies Bundle!

Includes sixteen unit studies covering world mythologies. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning ancient through modern history.

• Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.
• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

Product sample:  Percy Jackson & Greek Mythology

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!