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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

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The Last Cuentista

by Donna Barba Higuera

Narrator Frankie Corzo

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Length 8 hours 33 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“It’s 2061. Because of their scientific expertise, Petra’s parents have been chosen to accompany a trio of spaceships to colonize a new planet, leaving behind their home—and Petra’s beloved abuelita—in New Mexico just before a comet hits Earth. But even before their ship lifts off, things aren’t going according to plan. Amid the worrying events on the ship, Petra tells cuentos to bring comfort to those around her, to help her remember, to keep her culture alive; she longs to one day be a great storyteller like Lita. In an environment where diversity is eliminated, whatever the cost, Petra harnesses the power of stories and becomes a hero. This Newbery Award-winning, mystifying sci-fi adventure will empower children for years to come.”
— Mary • Raven Book Store

Bookseller recommendation

“Twelve year old Petra Peña has always dreamed of becoming a Cuentista (a storyteller). When she wakes up from 500 years in cryosleep to a community of brainwashed people, Petra is different; she still has her memories from Earth, and she is full of stories from the past...The Last Cuentista demonstrates the importance of learning from ancestors' stories to shape the future, illustrating the dangers of homogeneity and the beautiful imperfection of being human.”
— Emma • Content

Summary

Winner of the John Newbery MedalWinner of the Pura Belpré AwardA Junior Library Guild SelectionHabía una vez …A girl named Petra Peña, 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?Pura Belpré Honor–winning author Donna Barba Higuera presents us with a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.* "Gripping, euphonious, and full of storytelling magic."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Children's Fantasy Apocalyptic & Dystopian