The Last Cuentista: Newbery Medal Winner

By Donna Barba Higuera

Book Overview

Winner of the Newbery Medal--a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.

"Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes -- truly a beautiful cuento."--New York Times

Hab a una vez . . .

There lived a girl named Petra Pe a, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.

But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children -- among them Petra and her family -- have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.

Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet -- and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard -- or purged them altogether.

Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?

P R A I S E

"Clever and compelling ... wonderfully subversive."
--The Wall Street Journal

★ "This tale packs a wallop. Exquisite."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

★ "Gripping, euphonious, and full of storytelling magic."
--Publishers Weekly (starred)

★ "A strong, heroic character, fighting incredible odds to survive and protect others."
--School Library Journal (starred)

A W A R D S

Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Pura Belpr Award

BEST OF THE YEAR

TIME - Wall Street Journal - Minneapolis Star Tribune's - Boston Globe - BookPage - Publishers Weekly - School Library Journal - Kirkus - Bank Street - Chicago Public Library - New York Public Library

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1646140893
• ISBN13: 9781646140893
• Release Date: October 2021
• Publisher: Levine Querido
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 8.7"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9