Cecilia's Magical Mission

The Sandy Hook school massacre occurs midway through the story, traumatizing characters, and is explained as the work of Satan. A character describes the horrific burn injuries of a neighbor, including the fact that she's burned down to the bone. In the past, a small child dies young affer performing miraculous feats, and protagonist Cecilia fears she'll be next. Much of the story is focused on the death and funeral rites of a stillborn baby, including family members holding and rocking the tiny body, as well as a ubiquitous videographer recording it all for public consumption on the internet. Death photographs of babies are cherished, and last words of dying people diligently recorded. An adult character is traumatized by a miscarriage earlier in life for which she was not allowed to grieve.

Occasional "friggin'," "hell," "screw up." Cecilia's mom is angry when residents of a rich neihborhood call her an "illegal immigrant," which does not appear to be the case as the whole family travels on commercial flights to Mexico and back.

When a kid comes home excited about the "magic" she's experienced at a church fair, her mother is concerned that she's had something strange to drink. The coffee brewed by an old woman -- using holy water -- not only tastes great, it has magical healing properties. Jesus turning water into wine is important to the story.

Parents need to know that Cecilia's Magic Mission, by award-winning author Viola Canales (The Tequila Worm), involves a 14-year-old Mexican American child of immigrant parents who lives in San Jose, California, works hard in school, and is getting all kinds of grief from religious family members about her upcoming confirmation in the Catholic church, mainly because she just wants to get it over with and get on with her life. Set in 2012, the story is steeped in saints (including Junipero Serra and Santa Claus), miracles, and death. The stillbirth of the title character's younger sister takes characters from California back to the family village in Mexico, and religious and cultural events are described (the belief that it takes nine days for a soul to reach heaven; the family taking turns cradling and rocking the dead baby at the funeral; there are photos of dead babies; trance-like recitations of the rosary; Day of the Dead celebrations and ghost stories). There's a strong message that finding your particular gift and putting it to work for others is more important than going to school, learning, and achieving, and relentless repetition that Cecilia should have spent less time working hard in school and more time getting in touch with her spiritual traditions.