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The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids, Tweens, Teens

Halley’s Comet is on a collision course with Earth. Petra Peña, an aspiring storyteller, does not want to leave her abuelita behind, but she and her family are among the select few who have been chosen to take to the stars. Petra, her parents, and her little brother will spend the next 380 years in stasis learning everything they need to know to survive on their new planet. They will be humanity’s last hope. When Petra is awakened from stasis, however, she finds that her ship has been taken over by the Collective. They have reprogrammed everyone and erased all memories of Earth. Petra is the only one who still remembers her home world, her family, and all of their cuentos. She must use her stories of the past in an attempt to secure mankind’s future.

The Last Cuentista was just selected as the winner of the John Newbery Medal as well as the Pura Belpré Award. It was one of TIME’s Best Books of the Year and the Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Year, among others. I understand why. This book was full of storytelling magic. Despite some unexpected dark twists and turns that were a bit shocking, this was a beautifully told story. It combines science fiction, Mexican folklore, and a dystopian future. It is definitely one to add to your reading list!

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Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

It turns out that fungi are fun! This book takes the reader on an unexpected journey and turns conventional thinking somewhat on its head. Although fungi have their own kingdom and are often lumped in with plants, they are actually more closely related to animals. They even take the prize for the largest and perhaps the oldest organism on the planet. There is a patch of honey fungi that covers 10 square kilometers in Oregon. It is believed to be somewhere between two thousand and eight thousand years old. Some species of fungi launch their spores so explosively that they accelerate ten thousand times faster than a space shuttle directly after launch. Other species are responsible for “zombie” carpenter ants and provide nature with its very own internet, the wood wide web.

This book was a delight. Each page was full of new and interesting details that led me to search for more information, pictures, or videos of the events described. While the book itself is short, it may take you a bit longer to finish because you’ve fallen down a mycological rabbit hole.

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