The Last Cuentista
Girl preserves history on new planet in fresh sci-fi twist.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know to that Donna Barba Higuera's The Last Cuentista, winner of the 2022 Newbery Award, is a dystopian science fiction adventure in which Earth has been destroyed by a comet and a few survivors have reached the planet Sagan. Petra Peña, 14, wakes up early from suspended animation and learns that the sinister Collective has taken over and is pursuing a campaign to eradicate history. There's no discernible sex or swearing, and drug use is limited to some "tonics" that may or may not be intoxicating, Violence takes place off-scene, as when characters are purged from the spaceship's life-sustaining systems.
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What's the Story?
As THE LAST CUENTISTA opens, 14-year-old Petra Peña is about to join her parents and brother on an interstellar trip to another habitable planet. When she wakes up, she discovers she's been betrayed by the Collective, that her family members have been purged instead of resuscitated. Deposited on the planet Sagan, Petra looks for the opportunity to leave the other settlers behind while keeping the storytelling traditions alive.
Is It Any Good?
Storytelling can change the world, and this intriguing interstellar science fiction adventure explores the perils of colonizing another planet. Author Donna Barba Higuera delivers a new twist on a sci-fi staple, the generational spaceship. The antagonists are one-note members of a cult, but they're villainous in an interesting way. Petra is a highly sympathetic main character -- brave, compassionate, and resourceful -- working to save her family and their Latino history.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it would be like to leave home forever, as happens in The Last Cuentista. What would it feel like to never see your family again?
Have there been campaigns in recent history to eradicate all mention of certain topics?
Why is storytelling valuable? How do folklore and mythology give meaning to the world?
Book Details
- Author: Donna Barba Higuera
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models, Space and Aliens
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Levine Querido
- Publication date: October 12, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 14
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Newbery Medal and Honors
- Last updated: January 24, 2022
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