Donna Barba Higuera

The Last Cuentista: Newbery Medal Winner

$12.97
Last updated Aug 6, 2026 at 9:13am
Donna Barba Higuera

About this product

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 Había una vez . . .
There lived 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?
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 Belpré 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 Read more

Price History

📊 Price history chart coming soon — data will appear after a few days of tracking.

Specifications

Illustrated No

Product Details

Publisher Levine Querido
Publication date October 12, 2021
Language English
Print length 336 pages
ISBN-10 1646140893
ISBN-13 978-1646140893
Item Weight 1.22 pounds
Reading age 10+ years, from customers
Dimensions 5.95 x 1.1 x 8.55 inches
Book 1 of 3 The Last Storyteller
Grade level 5 - 9
Best Sellers Rank #27,969 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5 in Children's Dystopian Science Fiction Books #32 in Children's Multicultural Tales & Myths #262 in Fantasy for Children
Customer Reviews 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,976)