Sing It Like Celia

by Mónica Mancillas

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.

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Childrens, Realistic Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2024

About the author

Mónica Mancillas is a musician and educator who authors picture books and Middle Grade fiction and non-fiction. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her award-winning books include MARIANA AND HER FAMILIA, THE WORRY BALLOON, HOW TO SPEAK IN SPANGLISH, SING IT LIKE CELIA, TACO TUESDAYS, and LEYENDAS/LEGENDS (Chronicle, 2025).

Reviews

[Steena Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m grateful to have read an ARC of this beautiful MG debut novel by Monica Mancillas. We learn that Salva’s mother has left suddenly, and she’s faced with many challenges, including living in a new place. Still, she stays hopeful for the truth from her mother. Her love for singing and the music of Celia Cruz stays strong, and becomes a way for her to connect with her new friends in their band. Perfect for Celia Cruz fans, with messages of hope and finding who you are, this book is an uplifting and wonderful read!

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic middle grade novel that tells an important story, was a pleasure to read and very enjoyable.

Salva starts staying with her dad after her mom randomly disappears, at the campground where salva and her dad are staying, she makes friends and joins their band. One of the members isn’t so nice to Salva and after finding out something about her mom it becomes even worst.

My 1 complaint is that it didn’t tell us about Salvas old friends at the end of the book, the book kinda forget about them

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salva's world has been completely disrupted. Her mom disappeared one day and no one will tell her where she went, so she's now living with her journalist dad in a caravan at a campground. Salva loves to listen to and sing Salsa music, especially by Celia Cruz. She meets some local kids and joins their band, but has to be brave enough to perform. This book explores themes of friendship, belonging, being brave and taking risks, activism, immigration, racial prejudice, and complicated family issues (no spoilers about where the mom is!) Overall, I thought this was good -- I think kids who enjoy realistic fiction by authors like Kelly Yang, Hena Kahn, and Jasmine Warga will be into this!

*thanks to Penguin Workshop for the NetGalley review copy.

[Julia✨Book Reviews by Jules✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

I thought this book was really charming. It teaches children that they can be whatever they want to be and to not give up on their dreams, These are both important life lessons. Even as an adult, I really enjoyed this story!
–

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[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Sing It Like Celia
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5) or 7.42/10 overall

Characters - 7
The characters in this book were mostly enjoyable and relatable. While I did find the group of kids in the band blurred together for me, the rest of the characters had clear and unique personalities.

Atmosphere - 8
The atmosphere in this book was splendid. The way Mancillas described the setting made it abundant how the different places (campground, diner, grocery store, etc.) were laid out and perceived through Salva's eyes.

Writing - 8
I really enjoyed the writing style. There was enough attention to detail and description that most elements were easy to visualize throughout the story, but there was plenty of well-written dialogue too.

Plot - 7
The plot was entertaining, even if some parts were predictable. The one main twist of the story worked well and was unexpected, but it still made enough sense as well.

Intrigue - 8
I was intrigued by the cover and the description. I've never heard of Celia Cruz before, but the way Salva talked about her made me understand her passion for singing that much more. The added intrigue from the disappearance of Salva's mom paid off in a reveal/twist.

Logic - 7
This book was fairly logical. Most of the actions and consequences were thought out and seemed realistic.

Enjoyment - 7
I enjoyed many aspects of this book, from the bittersweet realistic moments to the interactions between characters. Celia's growth in the novel as she slowly stood up for herself more was inspiring and it was easy to root for her.

[Andrea Beatriz Arango]

This was my first read since coming home from tour! It was also a tour purchase 👀 shout out to @juliadeburgosbookstore for hand-selling me this one - I loved it! 😘

I thought Mónica did a really good job balancing out the heavier topics in the book (CW: deportation & parental incarceration, among others) with the lighter fare of van life + a salsa loving kid joining a band.

If you've read It's All or Nothing, Vale then you know Valentina's dad teaches her to dance salsa in the book. (And she loves it!!) I would 100% hand this book to Vale to read 🥹.

P.S. I've seen this one comped to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and now I want to read that one too! Have you read it? Have you read this one? Let me know ⬇️⬇️

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel truly sang! The big overriding mystery, lively cast of characters, beautiful setting—and of course, the ever-present Celia Cruz—all worked together to make for an engaging read with lots of heart. I heard Salva’s voice loud and clear, and not just when it was ringing out through the campground. I could feel her passion grow throughout the story.

The mixture of drama and fraught relationships with song and current day issues created not only a story with meaning, but one that can serve as a much-needed escape.

[René Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my middle school daughter and we both loved it! We enjoyed how Mancillas put just enough Spanish in the book to make it a vocabulary lesson without getting too technical. The book was like an onion peeling Salva's life one layer at a times. While there are elements of complexities of the adult world in the story, the real story was that of a middle school girl trying to figure her place in her world. I couldn't think of a better book to read at bedtime than this one.

From my daughter: I this book, it's awesome! It is a really good book how she overcomes her fears and finds things about her family and other stuff. It's a really good adventure book too. Salva is brave for what she did when it got really tough, like when she left her friends behind and finding out about her family and joining the band. P.S. They sometimes speak in Spanish.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Salva Sanchez' parents divorced when she was very young, and it's been just her and her mother, who is a nurse. When her mother doesn't come home, she ends up calling her father, who picks her up, won't tell her what happened, and take her to a trailer park where they are staying while he investigates a case of a woman being deported. He's an investigative journalist and moves around quite a bit. Salva is understandably upset by everything, but soon settles in to a new life at the Lonely Pines campground, run by the very nice Betty. Not so nice is her granddaughter, Darcy, who has a singing group called "The Darcy Experience". When Salva meets the members, she likes being with them, and they have her sing with them. She prefers a salsa style similar to famous singer Celia Cruz, which Darcy says very mean things about. To help the woman her father is investigating, the kids plan a benefit concert, and Salva learns some hard truths about her mother.

This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Siddiqui's, Barakah Beats, Pla's The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, or Winston's Braid Girls, since there is a similar feel of young people making friends and banding together for good causes.

[Stephanie Affinito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my heart was hijacked in this book. Salva is a 12-year old girl going through some pretty big life changes: her mother has disappeared and she’s now living in a campground with the father she hasn’t seen regularly in a while. She misses her mother, misses her friends and misses her old life, even if she is completely confused with what happened. But she still has her music: the big voice of Celia Cruz comforts her when she needs it the most and singing her songs helps her release some of the emotion she keeps bottled up inside. Little by little, she meets new friends and starts making connections with those around her. When her father covers a local story about a woman being wrongly deported, Salva acts quickly as helping others in their time of need helps her feel better about her own situation. This book is filled with so much: family and all the complications that come with it, changing friendships and learning to stand up for yourself. It’s touching, moving and inspiring…perfect for the middle grade reader in your life.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Sing it Like Celia, Salva finds her world turned upside down when her mom unexpectedly disappears. She must live with her absentee father, whose job as a reporter has him on the road following a story. They wind up living in a van on a campsite. As Salva gets reacquainted with her father and settles into life at the campground, she meets some local kids who have a band. When they hear Salva sing the salsa music she loves, they invite her to join them. Conflict arises with one of the group’s members when the other band members want to highlight Salva in their performances.

This book handles some challenging topics including deportation/immigration, parental incarceration, and prejudice, but also includes easily relatable situations like moving to a new community and conflicts with peers, which helps to keep the content appropriate and engaging. Readers will cheer for Salva as she learns how to use her voice to overcome adversity and to stand up for herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an eARC of the book to read and review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sing It Like Celia is a perfect middle-grade book. Young readers will find many things to relate to and discover a hugely entertaining story. The book contains everything a stellar middle-grade book often has – conflict with parents, new friends, new enemies, new surroundings, and love of something, in this case, music. Twelve-year-old Salva has been completely uprooted from the life she has known. Her mother has disappeared, and she must live with the father she scarcely knows in a camper van in the middle of nowhere. Celia experiences many surprises along the way, both good and bad. She learns many life lessons and matures throughout the story. This book may be relished by many ages. I loved it, and I am sixty-six!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Workshop. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Penguin Workshop, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mariana Ríos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity of reading an advance copy of this book and I really liked it. I actually read it quite fast, and although I'm not familiar with Celia Cruz's songs, the passion that the main character, Salva, had for her idol was so alive on the pages that it was contagious.

This book is about a girl, Salva, who is suddenly faced with her mom's disappearance and having to get use to a life on the road with her dad, who is a a journalist covering a family's deportation story. With many questions unanswered and having left the life she've always known, singing songs by Celia Cruz gives Salva comfort and ends up being the way she in which she connects with new friends by becoming part of a band.

This book covers a variety of topics which children might not find easy to deal with like deportation, immigration, having a parent in prison, disappearance of a parent, among others. But at the same time, this is a story about rising up to the challenges, forgiveness, finding your passion, discovering who you are, standing up for others, and hope. I think that the message of this story is one that many kids can relate to one way or another. And it also shows the power of music and song, and how it can transform lives for the better. I believe this book would be a perfect addition to libraries, schools and homes.

[Troop 30487 LFL 173997 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sing It Like Celia is a beautifully written book perfect for children 9-12. When Salva’s life is turned upside down, she struggles to find her way through her mother being gone, losing her home, and being thrust into a new lifestyle with a father she hasn’t known. This story runs the gamut through challenges many kids face with making new friends, dealing with a mean-girl, facing fears, and self-discovery. While not written by a child, it’s clear the author is aware of current youth language and struggles making it all the better for young readers to relate. We entered a giveaway for books to add to our Little Free Library and received a print copy of Sing It Like Celia from the publisher. After reading it, I am excited to place it into our LFL for the neighborhood kids to share and enjoy.

[Ashley Granillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to read an arc of Sing it Like Celia.

Poignant coming of age story about learning how to find your voice even when it seems like no one is willing to listen. Salva pushes through some tough moments: her mom mysteriously disappears and now she needs to learn what it's like to live with her father, an on-the-road journalist. Not only does she have to get reacquainted with her dad, but she must also acclimate to an entire new way of living and group of friends. While difficult at first, Salva finds her strengths and greatest support in music.

[Terry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sing It Like Celia is a compelling heartfelt book about Salva, a girl being carried in the torrent of decisions made for her. She finds herself houseless and motherless in a new place with a father with whom she hasn't had much contact since she was a baby. She has a choice. She can swim against the current, or she can continue to let others define her. In a true voice, Mancillas tells the tale of a girl who finds her strength in music and finds meaning in helping others. I loved every word of it.

[Jennybeast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent -- an easy story to fall into, and really great characters, and so much happening. Salva's mom has disappeared and her estranged reporter father is suddenly in her life. They are staying at a campground and she meets a band and singing is throughout. There are some tough relationship dynamics -- microaggressions, a local deportation, the challenge of singing publicly -- but also some excellent new friends, and food, and ways to see each other. Hopeful and hard and full of music.

[Dre Loves Books]

A delightful story about finding your place in the wake of traumatic family secrets, and harnessing the power of music to help through tough times. Salva is a sweet, sensitive character who learns to use her voice to overcome adversity, help others and create a community all her own in the most unexpected of circumstances.

[Aron .Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A relatively newer read, this book by Monica Mancillas is a great starting place for students in elementary school to begin their journey into chapter books. Themes include triumph in the face of adversity and also support from others makes almost anything possible. I chose this book to fulfill an author requirement but ended up loving the messages within.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the fictional main character, Salva Sanchez, and her rise as a singer. She faces daunting circumstances and yet rises above. She finds ways to make friends, keeps her eyes open for others, and really does end up “singing it like Celia”! A great read for middle schoolers!

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Themes:
Celia Cruz
Bilingualism
Prison industrial complex
Deportation
Music
Band dynamic
Friends/frenemies
Bigotry
Journalism
Immigration
Grief
Anger
Depression

[Perla Raiter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salva is so strong!!! The twist ending is so un-expected that I nearly fell of my chair.
A bit hard to get through though.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sing It Like Celia is going to made me want to sing about how great this book is! Salva learns to use her voice and stand up for herself to her own family (isn't that the toughest thing to do?). She deals with a mean girl but gains amazing friends along the way! I can't wait to share this book with my students!

[Adriana Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a 12 year old girl is hard enough. But when your mom goes missing and you’re forced to live with your estranged father, your whole world caves in.

Salva has to abandon her home, her school and friends to travel with dad, a news reporter.

Unbeknownst to her she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, family connection, friendship, and forgiveness.

She joins a band and channels her emotions through salsa music and the wise words of Celia Cruz.

All the while learning to use her voice to speak up for herself, for others, and for her own uncertain future.

Her adventure reminds us all that we can rekindle broken relationships and make new friendships that uplift us.

A powerful read that touches on themes of
*family separation
*deportation
*incarceration
*micro-aggressions
*self-advocacy

A wonderful middle grade read!

[Alexandra Alessandri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monica Mancillas’ middle grade debut Sing It Like Celia is a moving and poignant story that will sing its way into the hearts of readers. Salva’s journey toward finding her voice–and the truth behind her mother’s disappearance–is beautiful and heartbreaking, and readers will cheer Salva on as she pieces together facts, confronts her stage fright, and stands up for herself with the help of her newfound friends, her father, and her idol Celia Cruz. Those who are missing a parent or who find themselves in new and unexpected circumstances will find a beautiful mirror–and much needed hope– in Salva’s story.

[Catherine Arguelles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to read an early version of this one and it is so inspiring and compelling! Mancillas' lyrical prose brings the reader right into Salva's emotions as she deals with her absent mother and discovers her relationship with her father. Salva's journey into understanding incarceration and finding hope in music and new friends will reach right into readers' hearts. The depth of story, authentic characters, and exploration of feelings in SING IT LIKE CELIA make Monica Mancillas a MG author to watch!

[Dionna Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salva's story was woven like a mystery--full of questions that begged answering--as Salva tries to uncover the reason for her mother's sudden disaapperance, while navigating a new life with her father whom she barely knew. A great MG read.