Jane Addams Children's Book Award for Younger Children Finalist

Texas Bluebonnet Award List 2022-23

Facing a world dually altered by climate change and those who profit from it, Yolanda Cicerón will have to fight to save the last known beehive from extinction in this stirring new adventure by award-winning author Pablo Cartaya.

In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo--the most advanced town for miles around. But first, Yoly will need to prove she belongs in a place where only the smartest and most useful are welcomed.

Between her razor-sharp smarts and sheer determination, Yoly is well on her way until she discovers her family can no longer afford her schooling. When forced to take matters into her own hands, the closer she gets to securing her future, the more she uncovers the dangers lying inside Silo's walls--ones that threaten the entire Valley.

As she cracks long-guarded secrets, Yoly, along with those closest to her, is put in grave peril, and the only chance of surviving may lie in the rediscovery of a long-extinct species--the honeybee. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo's thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly's future?

Author: Pablo Cartaya
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 07/12/2022
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.46h x 5.78w x 1.07d
ISBN: 9780063006553
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.7
Point Value: 9
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 517717 / Last Beekeeper


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2022
Publishers Weekly 05/23/2022
Booklist 06/01/2022 pg. 84
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2022 pg. 113
School Library Journal 08/01/2022 pg. 85
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2022 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Cartaya, Pablo: -

Pablo Cartaya is an award-winning author, screenwriter, speaker, and occasional actor. He is the Pura Belpré Honor Book Award winner for The Epic Fail for Arturo Zamora; an Audie Finalist for Audiobook of the Year in the Middle Grade Category (for which he narrated); an ALSC notable book of the year for Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish; and the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor winner for his middle grade novel, Each Tiny Spark. His newest title, The Last Beekeeper, contemplates a future where bees are central to a re-building world. His novels focus on the themes of family, community, culture, and the environment. He lives in the hyphens between his Cuban and American identities and with his familia in Miami. Visit him at www.pablocartaya.com