The Legend of Memo Castillo

Gr 1-4–The series installment introduces readers to Guillermo, also known as Memo, a Cuban American third grader at Curiosity Academy with a love for card games and comic conventions. Though Memo’s family is from Cuba, he speaks only a little Spanish, which sometimes makes it hard to communicate with his abuela, Lala. When Memo and his friend Theo need a ride to MagiCon to compete in a Sorcery card game tournament, Memo’s dad forgets, and Memo has to figure out if he can ask Lala to take them by bus. With a warm, gentle tone, Alexander brings together all things geeky—RPGs, cosplay, and comic cons—while subtly exploring relatable challenges, including neurodiverse experiences: “He wore a helmet made out of plastic and foil, which covered up his noise-canceling headphones.” Fajardo’s illustrations bring Memo’s story to life, adding depth and helping young readers fully engage with the imaginative boy’s adventures.