The Last Cuentista

The Last Cuentista

Donna Barba Higuera

Levine Querido/Chronicle, 2021

314 pages

Grades 5-8

Science Fiction

Petra must say goodbye to all she loves, including her beloved storytelling Abuelita, as she boards a spaceship to settle a new planet in the not-so-distant future. A comet is set to destroy Earth and a few lucky and talented individuals have been chosen to colonize the nearest planet habitable by humans. Since her parents are scientists, Petra is one of the lucky few and she and her younger brother are put to sleep for hundreds of years while her brain is infused with scientific information and they are "babysat" by reproducing humans. During the journey the humans left to care for the sleeping colonists have evolved and now harbor their own agenda. Many of the sleeping colonizers have been reprogramed for the new regime and can no longer remember Earth. A glitch in the system leaves Petra with her memories, as well as the stories of her Abuelita. She wakes up to a very different reality than the one from which she came. The new planet is reached and Petra must now decide how best to proceed and who to trust.

This is the winner of the 2022 Newbery medal and the it is very well deserving. The only reason I didn't read this title before now is that it looked a bit long and dark. The story is less quiet than the cover implies and it is at it's core an adventurous science fiction tale with ethical undertones. The plot is fresh and reminds me a bit of the trending movie Don't Look Up, where the planet Earth is about to be destroyed, though in this book the real action takes place after the destruction of the Earth. The book starts with a bang, as Petra and her family board the ship, and becomes even more so once Petra wakes up and the world as she knew it went off the rails as she slept for hundreds of years. Readers will wonder what they would do in similar circumstances as Petra tries to make sense of her reality, as the only person who remembers Earth and the original mission of the trip. Surprises abound and I was on the edge of my seat as she tries to determine the best course of action to not be trapped as a slave in a soulless society. Throughout the book tales from Petra's childhood are woven, offering another layer. A well written, readable tale that will be enjoyed by upper elementary thinkers.

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm

City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm
Jaimal Yogis & Vivian Truong
Graphix/Scholastic, 2021
233 pages
Grades 4-7
Graphic Fantasy
City of Dragons series #1

After losing her beloved father to cancer, Grace's mother remarries her late dad's doctor and the family moves to Hong Kong for step-dad's work. Starting at a new school is scary, but at the elite private international school, Grace eventually makes a small group of like-minded nerdy friends. While ditching school with one of her new pals, Grace is called a "Hunxue" by a strange elderly lady and given a blue stone. Imagine Grace's surprise as the stone hatches--into a baby dragon! Complications arise as Grace and her friends try to keep the dragon hidden from prying eyes and learn to care for it. They name the dragon Hank (after Grace's deceased father) and go in search of help from the elderly lady once Hank starts failing. This search proves to be futile, but does lead them to a weird old man, who is referred to as "The Prophet". The man not only knows the legend behind the dragons, but what Hank needs to survive. A journey to an island to help Hank leads to danger and surprises, unleashing a chain of events, making it difficult for the gang to know who to trust or where to turn next. 

A new graphic novel series starts with a bang and introduces two newcomers to the field. Dragons are currently trending and Yogis and Truong introduce western readers to the eastern version of the mythological beasts. Seeped in folklore and legend, readers will enjoy the action packed story, as they learn about Chinese culture. Who wouldn't want to discover a dragon egg? This is a popular theme in children's literature, yet this series does it a bit differently. Being of mixed race makes Grace "special" and able to communicate with dragons. Biracial kids will feel empowered by the magic that is within them and celebrated between the books pages. The full-color illustrations have an anime quality that will appeal to a variety of readers. Containing a little something for everyone, this book is sure to find an audience. As part of the Scholastic book club machine it is guaranteed to get on kid's radars and, as a cut above the usual graphic novel for kids, it should have a long shelf-life.

Root Magic

Root Magic

Eden Royce

HarperCollins, 2021

336 pages

Grades 4-7

Fantasy/Mystery

It is not easy to be African American in Jezebel's small southern island community in the early '60's--and even worse to be a member of a family of root workers, who use the magic of their ancestors to heal and fight evil spirits. After Grandma dies Jez and her twin Jay are bereft. One bright spot is that Ma and Uncle Doc agree to start teaching them "root", which Jez takes to right away. Having skipped a grade in school, Jez has no friends and is thrilled when a new girl sits with her at lunch. Her new friend helps defend Jez when the mean girls harass her, but is the new girl hiding secrets? Why doesn't she ever invite Jez to her house? Further complications arise as a local sheriff makes it his business to hassle the family for their race and magic working. As the novel continues Jez solves the mystery of the true identity of new friend, the whereabouts of her missing father, and taps into abilities she didn't know she possessed. 

Seeped in atmospheric creepiness, Root Magic explores the poverty and racism of the Jim Crow rural south. People relied on the superstitious magic of the past to solve all of life's woes. Jez's family is trying to eek out an existence both financially and to safely avoid enemies-both human and of the spirit world. As Jez learns magic, her confidence grows and she learns to face her bullies and find her place in the world. Although this is a book with social themes, as well as of mystery and magic, it is at its core a friendship story about loyalty and trust, as Jez navigates her first real friendship, that goes a bit off the rails. The story is expertly written and very descriptive. Readers will feel as if they are visiting Jez's family as they turn the pages. One complaint is that it feels a bit longer than it needs to be, especially for young readers. The story is engaging enough that it should hopefully keep their attentions despite the books length and the ending is a satisfying payoff for those who persevere.

Playing the Cards You're Dealt

Playing the Cards You're Dealt
Varian Johnson
Scholastic, 2021
309 pages
Grades 5-8
Realistic Fiction

In order to impress his father, who has been acting strangely lately, Ant is determined to win the yearly neighborhood Spades tournament. He and his best friend, Jamal, have been practicing all year in order to redeem their disastrous failure from the year before. When Jamal gets into a fight in school, he is no longer allowed to play. Ant must find another partner-and quick. He goes for his new classmate, Shirley, who he has previously played and knows her way around the game. Only, will Jamal's feelings be hurt if he gets a new partner and will the other guys tease him if he plays with a girl? Meanwhile, Dad's erratic behavior points to a relapse in drinking and gambling. Mom becomes fed up and kicks Dad out of the house. Ant is grateful for the peace, yet misses Dad and has conflicting feelings about his beloved father. Maybe if he invites Dad to the Spades tournament he will reconnect with Mom and be so impressed with his son that he will give up his bad habits? Will Ant's plan work, especially once other complications arise?

Eclectic children's writer, Johnson, offers a contemporary new title with a lot to say. Ant is dealing with the complications of growing up, including friendship troubles, being the shortest guy, and his first crush, all while trying to understand his father's addiction and his feelings towards his beloved Dad. All of this plays out in front of the backdrop of a neighborhood Spades tournament, placing the story deep within an African-American neighborhood cultural context of which I formally knew very little about. The game of Spades is explained, with all of it's trash talking and strategy, without distracting from the plot. At some point I realized that there is an undisclosed narrator, who becomes identified by book's end. Although the unknown narrator adds an extra layer to the book, it may confuse young readers and could have been a bit more developed. Also, the actual tournament proves to be a bit anticlimactic, becoming a vehicle for the "real" story of Dad's addiction to play out. Johnson includes resources at the end of the volume for kids dealing with adults with gambling and alcohol problems. Through it all, Johnson creates a likable protagonist to whom many young people will relate. My heart ached for Ant in many places of this story and I think young readers will feel the same.

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood
Gary Paulsen
FSG, 2021
357 pages
Grades 7-Up
Autobiography/Memoir

Famed middle-grade author, Gary Paulsen, best known for his adventure books, pens a thoughtful memoir of his childhood, exploring the influences that grew him into the great author he became. The story starts as five-year-old Gary (referred to as "the boy") travels on a solo train journey during WWII to live with relatives on a northern farm. Those days are remembered fondly, a bright light in a childhood filled with darkness. His mother takes him away and they travel overseas to meet his military father, eventually ending up back in the northern United States. The boy grows up in dingy apartments, neglected and impoverished, while his parents drank and fought. He escapes to the woods to fish and live in peace. When the weather gets too cold to be outside, the boy wanders into the public library to warm. It is here that a kind librarian leads him to books and-eventually-writing. After many stints running away and failed attempts at independence, the boy tries different jobs, eventually landing in the military. All of his experiences combine to turn the boy into the man in which Paulsen becomes, all of which comes full circle at the end as he discovers an old notebook and jumps back into what he does best-writing.

This is a beautifully written book, crafted by Paulsen right before his 2021 death. It was almost as if he saw it coming and wanted to world to know his story before he left this world. Writing in the third person, Paulsen always refers to himself as "the boy", making the story feel more like fiction. At times the reminiscences feel like a surreal, hazy dream as time jumps and certain important events are highlighted. My favorite part of the book was, of course, when the boy walks into the library and the kind librarian basically saves his life. It was just the inspiration I needed to see to get me through these frustrating pandemic times. This book is said to target his usual audience (fourth-sixth grade), but it really is for teenagers or adults. There is alcoholism, child neglect, sexual behavior, language and violence, making it for an older mature audience. Even then, I don't know that teen readers will get it. I think that the real audience is his adult fans, who now get a glimpse at the boy Paulsen was and what turned him into the extraordinary writer and man he became.