Sat. May 18th, 2024

I’m really happy to introduce you all to Pura Belpre award winner and Newberry Medalist Donna Barbara Higuera’s awesome book The Last Cuentista. I just finished reading it and really enjoyed it. Since it’s Hispanic Heritage month, I decided to read this book for this month. I hope you all enjoy it!!

It’s the year 2061, and only a few families are selected to start a new life on the planet of Sagan before a comet destroys the planet. Petra Peña, the daughter of scientists, doesn’t want to go back after her family has been told that they have been selected. She has so many memories of earth and cannot bear leaving her grandmother who has told her several cuentos. Cuentos are like stories and they range from sleepy stories, funny stories, life lesson stories and sad stories. Petra leaves earth with all the others. Years later, Petra awakens learning that an ominous collective has taken over the ship and have taken several peoples memories of earth leading them to having to start a brand new life. Luckily Petra remembers everything about the earth and entertains young children with cuentos her grandmother (Lita) had told her. Will everyone in Sagan be able to retrieve their earth memories? Will Sagan finally feel like home? Read this book to find out.

I have never ever heard or read about Mexican folklore but after reading this book, I found it so interesting. This book also covers a lot of science fiction which is also pretty cool in books. This book has motivated me to read more science fiction. So if you like fiction, earth science, folklore and stories, this book is right for you.