Celia en el colegio

Celia en el colegio

Cover of the first edition of Celia en el colegio, 1932
Author	Elena Fortún
Illustrator	Molina Gallent
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish
Series	Celia
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	Alianza Editorial (2000)
Publication date	1932; reprints in 1973, 1980, 1992, 1993 and 2000
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	270 pp
ISBN
Preceded by	Celia, lo que dice (1929)
Followed by	Celia novelista (1934)

Celia en el colegio ("Celia at the school" or "Celia at school") is the second in the series of Celia novels by Elena Fortún, first published in 1932 according to records. Considered classics of Spanish literature, the books told the stories of a little girl named Celia living in Spain during the 1930s. In this second book, Celia was sent to a convent, for her parents found her a handful, and facing numerous financial problems at home, they had trouble looking after Celia and keeping her out of mischief. The books were largely popular in the years following their publication, and were enjoyed by both children and adults. Celia's many adventures and misadventures, as well as her mischievous character appealed to children, while at the same time, older readers were able to pick up references to a changing and growing nation hidden behind Celia's childlike fantasy world. Most prints of the first books featured a large variety of black and white illustrations by Molina Gallent, some of which were later featured in the opening credits of the TV-series from Televisión Española. Other prints and re-issues featured illustrations from other artists such as Asun Balzola.

In 1992, Spanish film director José Luis Borau adapted the series into a six-episode TV series simply entitled Celia. In it, child actress Cristina Cruz Mínguez played the title role of Celia, while Ana Duato (Médico de familia, 1995) and Pedro Díez del Corral played her parents. The series, like the books, found great success originally, but eventually that success faded and today the series is not very well known."En el colegio" was the title of the fourth episode in the series and the first to be adapted from the second book, Celia en el colegio.

A sequel to Celia, lo que dice (1929), the story narrates Celia's adventures following her father's decision to give in to her mother's wishes of sending their daughter to a convent school for girls. At the school, Celia has many difficulties adapting to the strict rules of the nuns and is often reprimanded by Madre Loreto, whom Celia describes as "very strict and scolds much". During her first days there, Celia is convinced that her father is not at all happy with the change and that he greatly misses his little girl, thus Celia tries to get herself expelled from the school by trying to make the nuns believe she suffers from a sleepwalking problem. Celia is unsuccessful, but she soon learns that though her father misses her, he is willing to allow her to stay at the school, which is good for Celia, who actually enjoys her new home. Celia is the favorite among many of her classmates, but she does have many quarrels with a few other girls who find her behaviour disruptive and inappropriate. Madre Isolina, an English nun Celia describes as "very intelligent and understanding" is Celia's favorite nun at the school because she sometimes helps her out of mischief. Celia tries desperately to be good, she even wishes to become a saint. The priest, Don Restituto, tries to guide Celia, but when the girl starts creating more trouble than usual in her attempt to become a saint, or at least a martyr, he gives up on her and forbids her from being either. Following the end of the term, the other girls leave the convent, but Celia is left there with the nuns since her parents have left the country hoping to find a better job elsewhere and earn money to stabilize themselves economically. Doña Benita, the old lady that had looked after the girl for some time before, comes to the school and takes Celia with her for some time. During those days, Celia and the old woman visit a circus, and from there Celia imagines all sorts of tales following her imaginary escape with the gypsies (tales she narrates in Celia, novelista). In the summer, en elderly woman, Doña Remedios, who is soon mocked and renamed Doña Merlucines by Celia and some of the nuns and workers at the school, arrives and she and Celia become fast enemies. Doña Remedios, who is very kind to Celia at first, is soon irritated by the girl's wild ways and wishes she had more discipline. After many quarrels between the two, Celia gets her revenge by filling the sleeping Doña Remedios' bed with cockroaches. Another schooling term begins and Celia's popularity with the other girl students begins to largely decrease. One day, an angry Tío Rodrigo, Celia's uncle, arrives at the school and demands to be allowed to take his niece away with him to her parents who currently reside in Paris.