Parents' Guide to

Cecilia's Magical Mission

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Teen's religious quest has saints, Satan, Day of the Dead.

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A Mexican American teen caught between her immigrant parents’ world and her own comes to terms with saints, family, mysticism, death, and Satan in a tale of religious tradition. As the story unfolds, Cecilia’s Magical Mission takes her to situations that some readers will find relatable, others bewildering, and still others enthralling. As Cecilia's friend Julie gushes, "This is the most exciting stuff I've ever experienced. It's like stumbling into Harry Potter's world and discovering it's for real."

Here, Cecilia's godmother explains a few ground rules.

"'Okay,' Carmen said. She sat up straight. 'Let me begin with explaining the steps. The Holy Spirit enters a person's soul at baptism, like a seed -- the first step. It sprouted when you made your First Communion. At Confirmation--the next step--it starts to grow so your don can bear fruit.'

"Carmen took in Julie's baffled expression and added, "What's the Holy Spirit? The divine in a person, her highest self, the seed that contains her sacred talent or don. And why is Confirmation important? Because it kick-starts a person's quest, her journey to discover, grow, and ultimately fruit her don. Not just for herself, but to share with her family, her community, the entire world.'

"Julie was transfixed, while Cecilia slumped in her chair and wondered if this was just Mexican superstition or a big, fat story that had been told so many times over so many years that it had morphed into a myth."

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