Sing It Like Celia

by Mónica Mancillas (Author)

Sing It Like Celia
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Perfect for fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Merci Suárez Changes Gears, Sing It Like Celia is a revelatory story about a Mexican American girl who finds her voice and herself with the help of her role model and icon, Celia Cruz.

Twelve-year-old Salva Sanchez has always been a fan of Celia Cruz, also known as "the queen of salsa." Her love of Celia stems from her mother, who leaves Salva without explanation one awful day. Now Salva is stuck with her investigative journalist father in an RV campground. In the middle of nowhere.

As Salva acclimates to her new environment and desperately tries to figure out why her mother left, she befriends a posse of campground kids who have started a band. When the kids discover that Salva has an amazing singing voice, they convince her to join their group. Soon, Salva learns how to find her voice--and herself--with the help of her newfound friends, her dad, and the one and only Celia Cruz.

Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

Kirkus Reviews

A tender coming-of-age story about kindness, courage, and community.

Horn Book Magazine

Mancillas handles the difficult topic of a parent who is incarcerated with care. . .an uplifting exploration of family and friendship, mental health, and finding one's place.

Booklist

¡Azúcar!" Middle-grade readers will sing after reading this uplifting tale of music and friendship.

Review quotes




Mónica Mancillas
Mónica Mancillas based her debut middle-grade novel on her own childhood experiences and those of her beloved sister, who shares her love of music and will someday take the world by storm. Mónica received her BA in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry. She currently teaches piano in Burbank, California, where she resides with her husband and daughter. Her previous work includes Mariana and Her Familia, The Worry Balloon, and How to Speak in Spanglish. Find out more about Mónica at www.monicamancillas.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593659304
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Publication date
April 20, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
JUV015030 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Mental Health
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Family life
Mexican Americans
Singing
Novels
Salsa (Music)

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