Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, February 13, 2022

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

How I Heard About It:
*One of my favorite days of the year is when ALA announces the award winners.  I love seeing which books have been recognized from the previous year.  Two of my favorite awards are the Caldecott and Newbery.  To be honest, I'm not always sure kids will read the Newbery, but it is still an exciting time.  After this year's announcement, I downloaded the book on Audible and have been listening over the last few weeks.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
*The story centers around Petra Pena, who wants nothing more than to be a story teller like her grandmother.  

*Life on Earth has come to an end as we have known it for hundreds of years.

*Only a small group of people are going to be allowed to board a "ship" and head toward a new planet.  Petra's family is included in that group of people.  

*Once on the ship, the passengers are put to sleep while they travel thousands of miles to their new existence.

*When Petra awakes, she realizes something terrible has occurred during the journey and she is one of the few people on board that has memories of the past.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
*When I first started listening, I had to slow down my listening speed in order to understand and take in the story.

*It was fascinating to think about the end of the world and continuing on somewhere else. 

*As Petra and her family boarded the mystery "ship", I was curious as to what was going to happen.

*Once they were aboard and awoke from their "sleep", I became something confused as to what was happening on the ship.

*The story was a bit too technical, scientific, and futurist for my reading taste.  


Who Should Read It:
*Readers who would be drawn to this story would need to enjoy science-fiction and dystopian type stories.  They should also be in upper elementary school and/or middle-school.  The book is longer, contains dense text, and is quite technical.  Happy Reading!


Rating:
   3 STARS out of 5 Stars





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