Chupacarter
Boy makes friends, faces bullying in funny monster tale.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Chupacarter, by comedian George Lopez and author Ryan Calejo, is about Jorge, a smart-mouthed Chicano boy trying to get used to an unexpected move, and Carter, a chupacabra (a legendary vampire creature in Latino folklore) who's been accidentally separated from his family. Jorge shows courage and empathy as he works with his friends to overcome challenges, but he's quick to use taunts and violence to solve his problems. The adults around him are rarely supportive, and a couple are threatening. The book is full of diverse characters, and Santy Gutierrez's funny Black-and-white illustrations consistently show this diversity.
What's the Story?
In CHUPACARTER, Jorge, a 12-year-old Chicano boy, is sent from Los Angeles, California, to live with his grandparents in New Mexico. He struggles to adjust to his new school, with a soccer team full of bullying kids and a threatening principal. He meets and befriends a legendary 7-foot-tall, blood-drinking chupacabra, and works to protect his new friend from a big-game hunter. Jorge deals with all of these challenges with courage, empathy, and a strong dose of comedian George Lopez's humor as Jorge and his friends work as a team to save the chupacabra from those who are hunting him.
Is It Any Good?
The writing is witty and the illustrations funny, with a slight gross-out factor, in this middle grade fantasy. Chupacarter will likely appeal to older kids and tweens. Jorge and Carter deal with the labels other people put on them, and show empathy and courage as they push through their challenges together. Other diverse characters -- including Ernie, who's Native American, and Liza, who's Black and vegan -- are relatable and interesting, although some of them could use more development, and will likely appear in the sequel. Kids will learn some Latino folklore and Spanish slang, as well as read about difficulties that many Latinos deal with. The quick conclusion leaves a lot of questions and problems unresolved, and some readers may feel unsatisfied. Overall, it's a humorous book that will engage middle grade readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bullying and violence in Chupacarter. Do you ever react without thinking, and then regret what you said or did?
Have you ever judged someone based on their appearance? What did you think, and was the person really like that?
A couple of the kids in Chupacarter are separated from their parents. How would you feel if you were separated from your family? Why would a parent send their kid to live with someone else?
Carter and Jorge look at the moon and think about their family. How do you feel when you look at the moon?
Book Details
- Authors: George Lopez, Ryan Calejo
- Illustrator: Santy Gutierrez
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Activism, Adventures, Friendship, Middle School, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Character Strengths: Courage, Empathy, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: August 30, 2022
- Number of pages: 272
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: September 28, 2022
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Engaging story is great for reluctant readers.
For kids who love Latino characters and funny stories
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