Middle-grade novel · Fiction

The Last Cuentista

Donna Barba Higuera

About the book

Petra, one of the last humans to leave Earth, wakes on a new planet to find that a collective has erased memories — except hers and her stories.

Reading notes

Science fiction grounded in storytelling and Mexican folklore; includes Earth's destruction, separation from family, and a regime that erases memories and purges people.

This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.

Recognition

  • Newbery Medal (2022)
  • Pura Belpré Children's Author Award (2022)

Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.

Book details

Author
Donna Barba Higuera
First published
2021
Suggested ages
Ages 10–14 (editorial estimate — children vary)
Reading mode
Confident reader
Topics
science fiction, storytelling, hispanic heritage
Edition shown
ISBN 9781646140893 · Levine Querido, 2021
Catalog record
Open Library work record · edition record

Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.

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