CECILIA'S MAGICAL MISSION

Magic and religion intermingle in a quest to find purpose.

Eighth graders Cecilia and Julie are close friends who live in the same apartment building. Julie relocated from New York to California after Hurricane Sandy destroyed their lives, and her mom is battling deep depression that keeps her in bed most days. Cecilia helps out in the family taco truck when she can. Her Catholic Confirmation is approaching, so she’ll need to select her patron saint, one who connects to her don—or special, innate gift—as soon as possible. Only she is not yet sure what her don is. A family tragedy means that Cecilia and her parents must rely on their tightknit community to help finance a trip home to Mexico. Now, pressure is mounting for Cecilia to find her don so that she can help her family when they need it most—but Cecilia is conflicted about forging a deeper relationship with her religion and culture and the time it takes away from her dedication to school. Busy readers will identify with Cecilia’s feelings of being torn between family pressure, schoolwork, and friends. Spirituality is central to the story, and Cecilia’s godmother guides her, along with readers, to understand the deep cultural significance and mysticism inherent to some beliefs. Cecilia’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico; Julie is presumed White.

This journey to discover identity is a rocky road punctuated by miracles and strong coffee.