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The Last Beekeeper
The Last Beekeeper follows twelve-year-old Yolanda Cicerón as she fights to the save the last known beehive in the world from extinction against nearly insurmountable obstacles—an environment completely changed by climate change and the greedy humans who will profit from the bees.
In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. From the crops that don’t grow to the terrifying creatures that roam the countryside, Yoly’s life in the Valley is brutal and harsh. She 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 to leaving her farm life when she discovers her family can no longer afford her schooling. Desperate for a solution, Yoly is forced to take matters into her own hands, but 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 are 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?
In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. From the crops that don’t grow to the terrifying creatures that roam the countryside, Yoly’s life in the Valley is brutal and harsh. She 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 to leaving her farm life when she discovers her family can no longer afford her schooling. Desperate for a solution, Yoly is forced to take matters into her own hands, but 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 are 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?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2022
71 people are currently reading
3440 people want to read
About the author
Pablo Cartaya
14 books222 followersPablo Cartaya is a professional code switcher and lover of all things Latinx. He talks a lot and writes a lot which are paradoxical conundrums to overcome on a daily basis. He is the author of the acclaimed middle-grade novel, The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora (Viking Children’s Books/Penguin Random House) which earned him a Publisher's Weekly "Flying Start" and starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publisher's Weekly. For his performance recording the audiobook of his novel, Pablo received an Earphone Award from Audiofile Magazine and a Publisher's Weekly Audiobooks starred review. His novel Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, also with Viking, is set for publication in summer 2018, with two forthcoming titles to follow in 2019 and 2020. Follow him on Twitter @phcartaya
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
February 26, 2023
I had really high hopes for this book because A) the Texas Bluebonnet nomination list has never disappointed me and B) I really enjoyed the Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora!
Maybe I am missing something, this is more highly rated than The Epic Fail, but I just can't stomach more than 2 stars.
I think part of the issue is with The Last Cuentista winning the Newberry last year, any Sci-Fi dystopia with an orphan hero is going to have a lot to live up to.
My two main disappointments were the unfocused conflict and the lack of character development.
Yoli was just too shallow to be relatable. As someone who spends a fair amount of time with angsty tweens, Yoli's angst came off as so surface-level that it seemed it would belong better in a sitcom than a middle-grade novel. Her frustration with her sister was too limited in scope and lacked the layers necessary to feel real. Yoli had plenty to feel deep, real, and nuanced resentment for, and instead, it felt like "stop bossing me around! I'm a big kid!" which was almost a mockery of the challenges of the preteenage years.
More deeply though, I felt the conflict was doing way too much. The premise of this book had so much promise: a single heroine bringing back the bees! It could have been relevant, fascinating, and whimsical. Instead, it seemed like Cartaya tried to riff on every major sci-fi and dystopian theme ever all in one short, middle-grade read. There were the surveillance state big brother vibes, the human vs artificial intelligence brave new world, AND a post-climate crisis apocalyptic economy. It was just too much. A narrower focus would have given space to further develop the characters and relationships.
I can see the potential for this to be engaging for some students, but on the whole, I wasn't impressed.
Maybe I am missing something, this is more highly rated than The Epic Fail, but I just can't stomach more than 2 stars.
I think part of the issue is with The Last Cuentista winning the Newberry last year, any Sci-Fi dystopia with an orphan hero is going to have a lot to live up to.
My two main disappointments were the unfocused conflict and the lack of character development.
Yoli was just too shallow to be relatable. As someone who spends a fair amount of time with angsty tweens, Yoli's angst came off as so surface-level that it seemed it would belong better in a sitcom than a middle-grade novel. Her frustration with her sister was too limited in scope and lacked the layers necessary to feel real. Yoli had plenty to feel deep, real, and nuanced resentment for, and instead, it felt like "stop bossing me around! I'm a big kid!" which was almost a mockery of the challenges of the preteenage years.
More deeply though, I felt the conflict was doing way too much. The premise of this book had so much promise: a single heroine bringing back the bees! It could have been relevant, fascinating, and whimsical. Instead, it seemed like Cartaya tried to riff on every major sci-fi and dystopian theme ever all in one short, middle-grade read. There were the surveillance state big brother vibes, the human vs artificial intelligence brave new world, AND a post-climate crisis apocalyptic economy. It was just too much. A narrower focus would have given space to further develop the characters and relationships.
I can see the potential for this to be engaging for some students, but on the whole, I wasn't impressed.
June 7, 2022
I read an Advanced Reader Copy sent to me by the author.
In a future where the environment has changed beyond recognition, survivors of the ecological collapse inhabit a valley with a city in which a technological renaissance has reestablished some of the computer based-communications and robotics of the 21st century, but only through extraction of the labor of the other inhabitants of the valley.
Yolanda, the protagonist, aspires to a position among the elite of the city. As she learns more about how the city exploits the inhabitants of the valley and how her parents and grandmother resisted the people ruling the city, she changes into a fighter for her people's liberation.
In particular, liberation requires equality in distribution of electricity, information and bees, which have disappeared from the environment and whose absence has resulted in a stunted agricultural sector. Yolanda learns that her grandmother and parents have laid the groundwork for restoration of bees into the environment, but it will take sacrifice and bravery from the people of the valley to overthrow the political authorities benefiting from the imposed poverty of the inhabitants of the valley outside of the city.
This is a Young Adult novel which reminded me of Philip Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and William Gibson's "Neuromancer," with a story line which illustrates political economy's discussions of imperialism and the relations between the metropole and periphery.
Young adult readers will probably just enjoy the imaginative future and the thrilling action!
In a future where the environment has changed beyond recognition, survivors of the ecological collapse inhabit a valley with a city in which a technological renaissance has reestablished some of the computer based-communications and robotics of the 21st century, but only through extraction of the labor of the other inhabitants of the valley.
Yolanda, the protagonist, aspires to a position among the elite of the city. As she learns more about how the city exploits the inhabitants of the valley and how her parents and grandmother resisted the people ruling the city, she changes into a fighter for her people's liberation.
In particular, liberation requires equality in distribution of electricity, information and bees, which have disappeared from the environment and whose absence has resulted in a stunted agricultural sector. Yolanda learns that her grandmother and parents have laid the groundwork for restoration of bees into the environment, but it will take sacrifice and bravery from the people of the valley to overthrow the political authorities benefiting from the imposed poverty of the inhabitants of the valley outside of the city.
This is a Young Adult novel which reminded me of Philip Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and William Gibson's "Neuromancer," with a story line which illustrates political economy's discussions of imperialism and the relations between the metropole and periphery.
Young adult readers will probably just enjoy the imaginative future and the thrilling action!
April 16, 2022
This was such an enjoyable read, and it does all the things I want dystopian books to do: make us think, call us out, prepare us to be better.
The MCs are lovable and the author takes great effort to make sure all of their actions are explained in ways that make sense. Even if I hate something a character does, there’s enough backstory for me to be like, “if I went through that, I’d do the same thing.”It’s a small thing, but that’s something that really matters to me.
I also really like the tech system. It was intricate, but not so convoluted that I couldn’t understand what was happening or how the world works. For a book that’s less than 300 pages and one housed in the scifi genre, that’s really hard to do.
The last thing is that the book is less than 300 pages. So many YA/MG books are in the mid 350-500 range, and although I still read and enjoy those, sometimes I just want a book I can read in a day without losing the entire day (even if the story is good).
So, kudos to this amazing author for writing a brilliant story filled with love, heart, and adventure. I really enjoyed it, and I know so many young people will appreciate Yoly’s journey.
The MCs are lovable and the author takes great effort to make sure all of their actions are explained in ways that make sense. Even if I hate something a character does, there’s enough backstory for me to be like, “if I went through that, I’d do the same thing.”It’s a small thing, but that’s something that really matters to me.
I also really like the tech system. It was intricate, but not so convoluted that I couldn’t understand what was happening or how the world works. For a book that’s less than 300 pages and one housed in the scifi genre, that’s really hard to do.
The last thing is that the book is less than 300 pages. So many YA/MG books are in the mid 350-500 range, and although I still read and enjoy those, sometimes I just want a book I can read in a day without losing the entire day (even if the story is good).
So, kudos to this amazing author for writing a brilliant story filled with love, heart, and adventure. I really enjoyed it, and I know so many young people will appreciate Yoly’s journey.
December 18, 2023
Can I booktalk this by holding it up and going "Don't trust your government kids! The Internet is spying on your every click!"
August 4, 2022
I’m really looking forward to sharing this with students. I think they’ll love the mix of sci-fi, adventure and climate change impacts. I especially appreciated the way the story incorporates aspects of farming within an exciting story. In some ways the final confrontation didn’t flow as smoothly as the rest of the story, but I want to see what kids think. My guess is that they’ll love the characters and the culminating action. Recommend for grades 4-7.
July 7, 2022
Thank you, @librofm and @harpercollins, for the advance listening copy of this 7.12.22 release. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this dystopian tale. Twelve-year-old Yolanda and her sister live in a time where the environment as we know it is completely changed, outside of a town looking to track and control everything people do through technology. When Yolanda thinks she has received a no strings attached scholarship, she learns that she will owe more than money or a job to the mayor. In an effort to escape, she and her sister follow their grandmother’s old notes to honeybees, which may be their ticket to taking down the corrupt leadership in Silo. I enjoyed this as an audiobook - it kept me engaged and I am excited to book talk this one in August. Recommended for grades 5-8.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this dystopian tale. Twelve-year-old Yolanda and her sister live in a time where the environment as we know it is completely changed, outside of a town looking to track and control everything people do through technology. When Yolanda thinks she has received a no strings attached scholarship, she learns that she will owe more than money or a job to the mayor. In an effort to escape, she and her sister follow their grandmother’s old notes to honeybees, which may be their ticket to taking down the corrupt leadership in Silo. I enjoyed this as an audiobook - it kept me engaged and I am excited to book talk this one in August. Recommended for grades 5-8.
May 5, 2023
I liked the message but the way it was written was a bit cringe and unrealistic. I didn’t want to read this but it was for an activity in school. It’s not really my type of book so I’m kind of biased.
I actually met the author (for school) and he’s a cool guy and he was born in my hometown (city?).
I got his autograph and he gave me advice for writing. :)
I actually met the author (for school) and he’s a cool guy and he was born in my hometown (city?).
I got his autograph and he gave me advice for writing. :)
April 10, 2024
3.5 Audiobook format. An excellent middle grade dystopian title for fans of Hunger Games or Divergent, but not quite ready for that level of reading. I liked that this is a stand alone title and even though some of the programming talk got a bit confusing, it kept my attention.
March 8, 2025
Final thoughts? A middle grade introduction to sci-fi/dystopian fiction. While I did think the message was important and received, the tekky-ness is not something I enjoy. This rating is a reflection of my personal taste more than anything else.
October 9, 2022
I absolutely loved this one! So many genres in one (many my favourite 😍): dystopian, sci-fi, climate crisis, girls who code, strong female leads, Latina…
Wow, just wow!
Wow, just wow!
June 26, 2023
3.5+
This was so cute! A really fun middle grade dystopian with an ecological focus and great Latine representation
This was so cute! A really fun middle grade dystopian with an ecological focus and great Latine representation
August 28, 2023
Hunger Games meets Lunar Chronicles for middle grades! Love the bee facts at the end. I hope that was a true cliffhanger and we’ll see more from Yoly!
October 30, 2023
Hunger Games meets Last Cuentista meets A Wish in the Dark. I think this could even be compared a bit to The Uglies. Good book, I think middle grade students will enjoy it.
August 4, 2022
Dystopian, set in a time when society has been rebuilt from the dregs of a previous time. 12 yo protagonist who acts older than she is - I thought she was 15 or 16. Community rallying for a cause… ecological awareness, good info on bees. Diverse (Hispanic, Asian, from last name, accent, language spoken) characters throughout, Pro- and antagonists. No content warnings. Not a super-dark dystopia.
Rating: g+ some danger, adventure
Recommend: 5th - 9th or so.
Rating: g+ some danger, adventure
Recommend: 5th - 9th or so.
January 5, 2024
This was… terrible. It’s a TX bluebonnet book so I was surprised. Here are the things I didn’t like: lack of character development. Whining narrator / main character. “Whack you over the head” conflict. The bad guys are very bad and the good guys are very good with zero subtlety, depth, or nuance. Liberal mix of Spanish and English, which I like in concept and I have a working knowledge of both languages. But my fourth grader has no Spanish skills and he kept getting lost.
January 14, 2022
What an incredible book! This is a book that makes you think, makes you cry, makes you laugh and makes you cheer. As an educator, I will be using this book with my students! Bravo Mr. Cartaya!
October 30, 2022
ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central
Yolanda lives with her older sister Cami on the family finca in a much altered future world. Climate change has caused cataclysmic problems, and much of the world is uninhabitable. The girls' parents were taken away from the government, which is horrifically intrusive. Everyone must carry a V-Probe, and if it is not online, there are sanctions. At one point, the much older Cami was sent on Retreat, which is part social service and part punishment, and returned with a badly damaged hand that had to be robotically augmented. This experience is something that she never shares with Yolanda, and the two rarely discuss their parents, the government, or even the sire straits that there farm is in. They grow strawberries, and have to pay for robotis drones to pollinate them, but the fruit is still hard and unripe, making it difficult to sell for much of a profit. Yolanda really wants to take a virtual class in Advanced Neurolink, hoping to become a doctor who can install these high tech devices and to have a better standard of living. The mayor of the nearby town, Blackburn, offers Yolanda a scholarship when she finds out Cami can't afford the class. Cami warns her that she should not accept, but Yolanda goes behind her sister's back. Later, she finds out that the cost of her education will be going on Retreat herself. Yolanda has a friend, Arelis, but the two usually only connect online. Arelis' brother is having trouble, but it's hard to find out exactly what is going on without the government finding out. When Yolanda is curious about her abuelita and Cami won't tell her much, she does some digging and finds a book that her grandmother wrote about the bee population. All signs point to a hidden hive that could pollinate the strawberry plants, and also provide the girls with honey that they could see at a high price. One of the people willing to pay for this rare commodity is Hortensia Blackburn, the sister of the mayor. Dealing with the bees is dangerous on a number of levels. Will Yolanda be able to work with them in order to save her family and friends from the unlikely source of the serious threats?
Yolanda is a great character who wants to become educated as a way to get away from the grueling life of farming in a world badly damaged by climate change and strife. Her professor and fellow students try to sabotage her at every turn, but she is dedicated to learning more about technology so that she can help others, as well as herself. Cami's reticence is understandable, given the trauma in her past, but she eventually learns to communicate with her sister. The Blackburns are clearly villians in the most classic sense, but the Mayor is delightfully oily and seemingly nice, which always makes for a much scarier villian, in my opinion!
There are a growing number of middle grade science fiction books that center climate change, but even Bachorz's 2011 Drought talked about some of this! I have certainly been aware of the problems with bees ever since reading Burns' The Hive Detectives in 2012! This is a growing concern for children, and I have to say that the idea of drone pollinators made me feel a teeny bit better, although I will still keep my bee garden! I loved that Yolanda's gradnmother had been a scientist. This is definitely a dystopian book, but one that is less concerned with the world and more concerned with how the characters are reacting to it in order to make circumstances better.
For some reason, this reminded me strongly of Perry's The Scavengers (2014), and had some tones of Burt's Cleo Porter and the Body Electric (2020). We're seeing more and more books addressing the future if critical issues aren't addressed, like Welford's prescient The Dog Who Saved the World (2021) and Rosenberg's environmentally themed One Small Hop (2021). Since the end of The Last Beekeeper contains a surprise twist with one of the characters, I think we may look forward to a sequel to this one!
Yolanda lives with her older sister Cami on the family finca in a much altered future world. Climate change has caused cataclysmic problems, and much of the world is uninhabitable. The girls' parents were taken away from the government, which is horrifically intrusive. Everyone must carry a V-Probe, and if it is not online, there are sanctions. At one point, the much older Cami was sent on Retreat, which is part social service and part punishment, and returned with a badly damaged hand that had to be robotically augmented. This experience is something that she never shares with Yolanda, and the two rarely discuss their parents, the government, or even the sire straits that there farm is in. They grow strawberries, and have to pay for robotis drones to pollinate them, but the fruit is still hard and unripe, making it difficult to sell for much of a profit. Yolanda really wants to take a virtual class in Advanced Neurolink, hoping to become a doctor who can install these high tech devices and to have a better standard of living. The mayor of the nearby town, Blackburn, offers Yolanda a scholarship when she finds out Cami can't afford the class. Cami warns her that she should not accept, but Yolanda goes behind her sister's back. Later, she finds out that the cost of her education will be going on Retreat herself. Yolanda has a friend, Arelis, but the two usually only connect online. Arelis' brother is having trouble, but it's hard to find out exactly what is going on without the government finding out. When Yolanda is curious about her abuelita and Cami won't tell her much, she does some digging and finds a book that her grandmother wrote about the bee population. All signs point to a hidden hive that could pollinate the strawberry plants, and also provide the girls with honey that they could see at a high price. One of the people willing to pay for this rare commodity is Hortensia Blackburn, the sister of the mayor. Dealing with the bees is dangerous on a number of levels. Will Yolanda be able to work with them in order to save her family and friends from the unlikely source of the serious threats?
Yolanda is a great character who wants to become educated as a way to get away from the grueling life of farming in a world badly damaged by climate change and strife. Her professor and fellow students try to sabotage her at every turn, but she is dedicated to learning more about technology so that she can help others, as well as herself. Cami's reticence is understandable, given the trauma in her past, but she eventually learns to communicate with her sister. The Blackburns are clearly villians in the most classic sense, but the Mayor is delightfully oily and seemingly nice, which always makes for a much scarier villian, in my opinion!
There are a growing number of middle grade science fiction books that center climate change, but even Bachorz's 2011 Drought talked about some of this! I have certainly been aware of the problems with bees ever since reading Burns' The Hive Detectives in 2012! This is a growing concern for children, and I have to say that the idea of drone pollinators made me feel a teeny bit better, although I will still keep my bee garden! I loved that Yolanda's gradnmother had been a scientist. This is definitely a dystopian book, but one that is less concerned with the world and more concerned with how the characters are reacting to it in order to make circumstances better.
For some reason, this reminded me strongly of Perry's The Scavengers (2014), and had some tones of Burt's Cleo Porter and the Body Electric (2020). We're seeing more and more books addressing the future if critical issues aren't addressed, like Welford's prescient The Dog Who Saved the World (2021) and Rosenberg's environmentally themed One Small Hop (2021). Since the end of The Last Beekeeper contains a surprise twist with one of the characters, I think we may look forward to a sequel to this one!
September 26, 2022
I am fortunate to have been asked by a sixth grade science teacher colleague to assess this book for inclusion into the curriculum. I look forward to completing the forms supporting and justifying such an action.
This book is so much more than just science, which is why I am excited about the possibilities it offers. I am a vocal proponent of cross curricular learning and am constantly disappointed by the lack of such broad-based cultural and community-focused thinking in the education profession. The compartmentalization of content, sometimes beginning with groupings in elementary school, diminishes the impact and relevance of the educational process. As content-based thinking pervades secondary education, there is no room for a comprehensive approach to education, which cross-curricular initiatives offer. It is a way to make education better, more engaging, more relevant, and more effective. A rocket scientist who does not know the evils of Fascism is a wasted mind, a poet who cannot understand how redlining and interest rates disenfranchise populations is a dilletante. I had briefly succeeded in getting a smidgen of traction in the building where I teach towards cross-curricular initiatives when a leadership change killed that in the cradle. Without leadership support it is impossible to implement effective long-term cross-curricular instruction.
This book offers a highly effective way to engage students in science. From life science and pollinators, to computer science and coding, including robotics, the scientific method, and research, it is all here. But so much more is also present, culture and community is present, supporting social studies, along with government, politics, and the potential of protest and activism. With coding and economics comes the door into mathematics and the applications of that field. As the book uses extensive Spanish vocabulary - but very accessible, and easy to decode from context clues - as well as latin names, useful for identifying and connecting word roots, English Language arts applications are also present, not even mentioning the examination of character motivation, found poetry, and multiple story arcs. It is all here in an intense engaging story which will keep adolescents engaged and reading, another English Language arts connection, a book some students will actually want to read.
I recommend this book for teachers, lovers of nature, lovers of technology, lovers of just a good story. I enjoyed it, you will, too.
This book is so much more than just science, which is why I am excited about the possibilities it offers. I am a vocal proponent of cross curricular learning and am constantly disappointed by the lack of such broad-based cultural and community-focused thinking in the education profession. The compartmentalization of content, sometimes beginning with groupings in elementary school, diminishes the impact and relevance of the educational process. As content-based thinking pervades secondary education, there is no room for a comprehensive approach to education, which cross-curricular initiatives offer. It is a way to make education better, more engaging, more relevant, and more effective. A rocket scientist who does not know the evils of Fascism is a wasted mind, a poet who cannot understand how redlining and interest rates disenfranchise populations is a dilletante. I had briefly succeeded in getting a smidgen of traction in the building where I teach towards cross-curricular initiatives when a leadership change killed that in the cradle. Without leadership support it is impossible to implement effective long-term cross-curricular instruction.
This book offers a highly effective way to engage students in science. From life science and pollinators, to computer science and coding, including robotics, the scientific method, and research, it is all here. But so much more is also present, culture and community is present, supporting social studies, along with government, politics, and the potential of protest and activism. With coding and economics comes the door into mathematics and the applications of that field. As the book uses extensive Spanish vocabulary - but very accessible, and easy to decode from context clues - as well as latin names, useful for identifying and connecting word roots, English Language arts applications are also present, not even mentioning the examination of character motivation, found poetry, and multiple story arcs. It is all here in an intense engaging story which will keep adolescents engaged and reading, another English Language arts connection, a book some students will actually want to read.
I recommend this book for teachers, lovers of nature, lovers of technology, lovers of just a good story. I enjoyed it, you will, too.
April 1, 2023
2023-24 Texas Bluebonnet Book
I am always excited about the new Bluebonnet books, even though I am no longer a school librarian. I know that the 20 books selected will be of high quality and will be appealing to the student audience, 3rd-6th graders. I seek them on audio first, and this is a title that my public library carried, giving me my first Bluebonnet of the year.
This middle grade chapter book is dystopian, and includes all of the elements that make this genre one of my least favorite. Authoritarian government, environmental collapse, rise of AI and technology used to control rather than help the citizens, young people used as workers for the state, often sacrificing them to the cause. Yolanda Ciceron and her sister are alone on their failing strawberry farm. Their parents ran afoul of the oppressive government and have been exiled forever. The farm, and all of the other farms, will never succeed because there are no bees, and the "pollinator drones" are just not an adequate substitute. Citizens are kept in a state of permanent debt, and those unable to pay are sent to work in the "dead city," where old tech and materials are salvaged.
The positive aspects of this story are strong female characters who use science and knowledge of computer coding to solve the mysteries of Silo, reveal the lies that the government has told, and free everyone from the authoritarian control. The message is about working together- like the bees that Yoly discovers- and forming a cooperative colony rather than the dictatorship they have lived with all their lives. Resistance, determination, self sacrifice and community come together to save the day. I think that this lesson is delivered in an appealing way, an adventure story where the reader will identify with and root for the characters.
I am always excited about the new Bluebonnet books, even though I am no longer a school librarian. I know that the 20 books selected will be of high quality and will be appealing to the student audience, 3rd-6th graders. I seek them on audio first, and this is a title that my public library carried, giving me my first Bluebonnet of the year.
This middle grade chapter book is dystopian, and includes all of the elements that make this genre one of my least favorite. Authoritarian government, environmental collapse, rise of AI and technology used to control rather than help the citizens, young people used as workers for the state, often sacrificing them to the cause. Yolanda Ciceron and her sister are alone on their failing strawberry farm. Their parents ran afoul of the oppressive government and have been exiled forever. The farm, and all of the other farms, will never succeed because there are no bees, and the "pollinator drones" are just not an adequate substitute. Citizens are kept in a state of permanent debt, and those unable to pay are sent to work in the "dead city," where old tech and materials are salvaged.
The positive aspects of this story are strong female characters who use science and knowledge of computer coding to solve the mysteries of Silo, reveal the lies that the government has told, and free everyone from the authoritarian control. The message is about working together- like the bees that Yoly discovers- and forming a cooperative colony rather than the dictatorship they have lived with all their lives. Resistance, determination, self sacrifice and community come together to save the day. I think that this lesson is delivered in an appealing way, an adventure story where the reader will identify with and root for the characters.
November 14, 2022
“Silence is not protection. It’s just another form of control.”
🐝
Twelve-year-old Yolanda “Yoly” Ciceron lives in a futuristic society that has learned to fear nature after a climate crisis almost wiped everyone off the face of the planet. Now Yoly and her sister, Cami, work their strawberry farm as best they can, trying to sell as many as they can to keep their land and send Yoly to school to be a surgeon. Unfortunately when she needs to take her last class, she can’t register because they don’t have enough money. Against her sister’s wishes, Yoly makes a deal with the Mayor for a scholarship. Little did she know so many strings would be attached. With Yoly learning the sinister truth about the Silo and the Mayor, she seeks to find information from her Abuelita’s scientific notes on bees only to uncover the last colony in the woods on their land. Could they be the answer to everything?
🐝
Wow! When I saw this MG book on @txbbaward 2023-2024 list I was so excited for latinx representation, but didn’t know what to think about a middle grade dystopian novel. OMG @phcartaya did a fantastic job with this entire story from start to finish. I was engaged constantly, dying to know what was going to happen next. I loved the girls in STEM rep, as well as the mix of Spanish throughout. The focus on the effects of climate change we handled so well. The science was f boring or too much to detract from the story itself. Please tell me there’s going to be a sequel! We need more books like this in the world. 5⭐️
CW: death of an animal, loss of limb, climate change effects, violence, death of loved ones (recounted)
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Twelve-year-old Yolanda “Yoly” Ciceron lives in a futuristic society that has learned to fear nature after a climate crisis almost wiped everyone off the face of the planet. Now Yoly and her sister, Cami, work their strawberry farm as best they can, trying to sell as many as they can to keep their land and send Yoly to school to be a surgeon. Unfortunately when she needs to take her last class, she can’t register because they don’t have enough money. Against her sister’s wishes, Yoly makes a deal with the Mayor for a scholarship. Little did she know so many strings would be attached. With Yoly learning the sinister truth about the Silo and the Mayor, she seeks to find information from her Abuelita’s scientific notes on bees only to uncover the last colony in the woods on their land. Could they be the answer to everything?
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Wow! When I saw this MG book on @txbbaward 2023-2024 list I was so excited for latinx representation, but didn’t know what to think about a middle grade dystopian novel. OMG @phcartaya did a fantastic job with this entire story from start to finish. I was engaged constantly, dying to know what was going to happen next. I loved the girls in STEM rep, as well as the mix of Spanish throughout. The focus on the effects of climate change we handled so well. The science was f boring or too much to detract from the story itself. Please tell me there’s going to be a sequel! We need more books like this in the world. 5⭐️
CW: death of an animal, loss of limb, climate change effects, violence, death of loved ones (recounted)
August 9, 2023
Yoly is smart and opinionated. She wants to be a neurolink surgeon—like a brain surgeon and computer coder all in one. Because in this place, so far in the future, the world is run by computer codes and connections.
But Yolys sister Cami knows some things Yoly doesn’t—like why the Mayor who seems to kind to Yoly was actually responsible for the exile of Cami and Yolys parents when Yoly was too young to remember.
Cami knows not to trust the Mayor, or Silo, the city that rules over the valley, nor does she trust the System— the connected computer that is always listening and always there to “help.”
When Cami finally begins telling Yoly about their past and the secrets she’s been keeping, Yoly realizes that he family history could be the answer to the problems of the future.
You see, Yoly and Cami run their family farm. And none of the farms are thriving anymore. Crops are poor and the farmers even more so. They have debts. Owed to Silo and the system. Crops don’t grow in this world of the future where the ground is dry and hard, and inspects and birds are no where to be found.
Why is that important? Those are pollinators. With birds or bees, crops would grow.
Yoly discovers the secrets her family has kept. And finds herself in a role she never imagined. She may bs the last beekeeper.
But Yolys sister Cami knows some things Yoly doesn’t—like why the Mayor who seems to kind to Yoly was actually responsible for the exile of Cami and Yolys parents when Yoly was too young to remember.
Cami knows not to trust the Mayor, or Silo, the city that rules over the valley, nor does she trust the System— the connected computer that is always listening and always there to “help.”
When Cami finally begins telling Yoly about their past and the secrets she’s been keeping, Yoly realizes that he family history could be the answer to the problems of the future.
You see, Yoly and Cami run their family farm. And none of the farms are thriving anymore. Crops are poor and the farmers even more so. They have debts. Owed to Silo and the system. Crops don’t grow in this world of the future where the ground is dry and hard, and inspects and birds are no where to be found.
Why is that important? Those are pollinators. With birds or bees, crops would grow.
Yoly discovers the secrets her family has kept. And finds herself in a role she never imagined. She may bs the last beekeeper.
December 15, 2022
In a future ravaged by climate change, 12-year-old Yolanda "Yoly" Ciceron dreams of leaving her rural community for a chance to pursue an education and become a neurolink surgeon in the technology-enhanced city of Silo. Since their parents were exiled years ago, Yoly and her older sister (Cami) have tried to keep the family's farm afloat, but things are getting harder and harder. When Mayor Blackburn offers Yoly a scholarship to begin her studies, she seizes the opportunity--only to discover that she has unknowingly agreed to pay back the money with two years of hard labor. Cami and Yoly find inspiration in their late grandmother's research on bees, and take to the woods to search for something that will give them leverage over the Mayor and his contract. In the process, they expose a conspiracy that questions everything they think they know about their world.
Adventure meets environmentalism in this thought-provoking dystopian novel set in a mostly Latinx community. The ending appears to set up a sequel.
Adventure meets environmentalism in this thought-provoking dystopian novel set in a mostly Latinx community. The ending appears to set up a sequel.
June 30, 2022
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and #NetGalley for letting me read a digital ARC of The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya. This is my 99th book of 2022 and my 9th book of the summer. This book will be released on July 11, 2022. All opinions are my own.
Yolanda “Yoly” Cicerón lives in a world that has been altered by climate change and those who profit from it. Her parents were exiled when she was young, and she’s lived with her older sister ever since. Yoly focuses on her education and wants to become a neurolink surgeon. Their family farm, though, is failing and they can’t afford her latest class. When the mayor offers her a scholarship, Yoly ignores her sister’s warnings and accepts without her consent and without reading the fine print. Yoly soon realizes that all actions have consequences and not everything is as it seems.
This book covers some powerful themes related to power, climate change, technology, family, and standing up for what you believe in. It has several strong female characters. The concept was interesting and the dystopian world was believable (almost scarily so). That being said, I had trouble getting into the story and felt it didn’t flow as well as it could have.
Yolanda “Yoly” Cicerón lives in a world that has been altered by climate change and those who profit from it. Her parents were exiled when she was young, and she’s lived with her older sister ever since. Yoly focuses on her education and wants to become a neurolink surgeon. Their family farm, though, is failing and they can’t afford her latest class. When the mayor offers her a scholarship, Yoly ignores her sister’s warnings and accepts without her consent and without reading the fine print. Yoly soon realizes that all actions have consequences and not everything is as it seems.
This book covers some powerful themes related to power, climate change, technology, family, and standing up for what you believe in. It has several strong female characters. The concept was interesting and the dystopian world was believable (almost scarily so). That being said, I had trouble getting into the story and felt it didn’t flow as well as it could have.
September 13, 2022
A timely environmental dystopian tale for kids in grades 5-8. Yolanda and her older sister live on a farm outside of the Silo, but they haven't harvested ripe strawberries for years, and Yolanda dreams of becoming a neurolink surgeon and living inside the Silo's walls. However, these dreams take a turn when a scholarship to continue her schooling come with a dangerous agreement and Yolanda dives into a beekeeping book written by her late abuela. She comes to the realization that life in the Silo and its leadership is not all it's cracked up to be. Yolanda, along with her sister, good friend, and neighbors take a united front against leadership...but just how long will the change last? This question will perhaps be explored in a possible sequel?
I will likely recommend this book to young teens looking for new dystopian books--especially since more and more youth care about the environment and global warming. Two main complaints: the action scenes weren't always very clear (I had a hard time picturing what was going on), and the final few chapters seemed to each suggest the end of the book (only to turn the page and realize there was still more).
I will likely recommend this book to young teens looking for new dystopian books--especially since more and more youth care about the environment and global warming. Two main complaints: the action scenes weren't always very clear (I had a hard time picturing what was going on), and the final few chapters seemed to each suggest the end of the book (only to turn the page and realize there was still more).
January 3, 2023
Yoly and Cami live on a farm after being orphaned. But the future doesn't seem to be in farming. Yoly wants to get certified as a neurolink surgeon and make a lot of money but Cami isn't as into it. Yoly doesn't understand why...until some strange things happen in their society and lives. It's a nice intro into a bit of a dystopian world masquerading as the fabulous future. I love the way the bees and bee drones work into the story. There is discussion of how the fact that only one author of stories changes the narrative and makes people fear things.
The technology isn't fully explored, but there's enough of it to make the world run properly and in 2022, it's all familiar enough to be intelligible for all ages.
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm curious to see if there will be more.
The technology isn't fully explored, but there's enough of it to make the world run properly and in 2022, it's all familiar enough to be intelligible for all ages.
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm curious to see if there will be more.
February 25, 2023
Narrator: Kyla Garcia. 5/5
Whelp, Earth isn’t what it used to be after a horrific global natural disaster. The survivors have learned to fear nature and work with the remaining technology that was salvaged from the disaster. Yolanda Cicerón, or Yoli, is an intelligent 12 year old who wants to use her technology skills to save her family farm and town, Silo. She unfortunately cannot afford the school that will give her the knowledge and skills to do so. So she seeks out other ways to get the money instead of listening to her older sister's advice. Yoli gets herself mixed up in a situation that she never expected. Can she untangle the mess she created and protect the bees?
This story is for those who enjoy dystopian, sci-fi, and adventure stories.
eBook & eAudiobook available on Libby.
Reviewed by: Miss Nessa, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
Whelp, Earth isn’t what it used to be after a horrific global natural disaster. The survivors have learned to fear nature and work with the remaining technology that was salvaged from the disaster. Yolanda Cicerón, or Yoli, is an intelligent 12 year old who wants to use her technology skills to save her family farm and town, Silo. She unfortunately cannot afford the school that will give her the knowledge and skills to do so. So she seeks out other ways to get the money instead of listening to her older sister's advice. Yoli gets herself mixed up in a situation that she never expected. Can she untangle the mess she created and protect the bees?
This story is for those who enjoy dystopian, sci-fi, and adventure stories.
eBook & eAudiobook available on Libby.
Reviewed by: Miss Nessa, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
January 4, 2024
Not realistic. These young women are teenagers trying to survive in a grim near future after their parents have been exiled. They are beholding to the state for support to farm the meager crops they can produce - pale strawberries in their case - it is a losing battle. That is until they find a hidden hive of honeybees that will change society and become the natural pollinators they sorely need.
BUT the seemingly kind mayor is not as he appears and there is a battle against tyranny and greed.
All well and good, but the part I did not believe was the ability of the main character and friends are able to instantly hack into the city's security system or reprogram pollinator drones to become weapons. Sure, they are going to technology classes, but they are mostly farm girls that don a cape and become super programmers. I didn't buy it, but overall, the story was ok.
BUT the seemingly kind mayor is not as he appears and there is a battle against tyranny and greed.
All well and good, but the part I did not believe was the ability of the main character and friends are able to instantly hack into the city's security system or reprogram pollinator drones to become weapons. Sure, they are going to technology classes, but they are mostly farm girls that don a cape and become super programmers. I didn't buy it, but overall, the story was ok.
January 6, 2024
I love a great dystopian! Yolanda has been raised by her older sister since her parents were banished. When she discovers that they can no longer afford her advanced schooling, Yolanda is devastated. The last thing she wants is to work on her family farms; she wants to live in the high-tech town Silo. When Yolanda accepts a scholarship to continue her education without reading the fine print, her sister begins to open up to her about their past and she discovers that things aren't as she always thought and that perhaps her grandmother's notes can unlock new doors.
Great dystopian for middle grade readers in 5th-8th grade!
(Side note: I love when I unintentionally read books with connections. I recently finished the graphic novel Buzzing, and while completely different, these two books use bees to symbolize different things. Happy to see bees getting some much-needed buzz!)
Great dystopian for middle grade readers in 5th-8th grade!
(Side note: I love when I unintentionally read books with connections. I recently finished the graphic novel Buzzing, and while completely different, these two books use bees to symbolize different things. Happy to see bees getting some much-needed buzz!)
May 17, 2022
Yoli lives in the valley, but wants nothing more than to become part of the ultra tech community in nearby Silo. She wants it so much that she signs an agreement for a scholarship offered by the mayor when her family can't pay for her schooling. Yoli soon finds out that all is not what it seems with the mayor and Silo. While appearing to be kind and benevolent, the government is actually oppressing the people of the valley and using them for their own gain. With the help of her sister, her friends, and her community, she begins to fight back for a better life for everyone. Readers will root for this underdog and her friends as they help others discover the strength they have in family, friends, neighbors, and community.
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