Sing It Like Celia -- Mónica Mancillas, Hardcover

Perfect for fans of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Merci Su疵ez 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.

Author: Mica Mancillas
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Published: 04/02/2024
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780593659304
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2024
Horn Book Magazine 03/01/2024 pg. 98

About the Author
Mica 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. Mica 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 Mica at www.monicamancillas.com.