In a way this grandmother, Lita, is on the journey as well though she is left behind on Earth. She tells cuentos (stories) told to her by her Abuela. It is great to see a character that has a trait that can’t be fixed and has learned to live with. The Power of StoriesĪPP: That is so true, and also so hard to accept sometimes. Challenges are part of who we are as humans. It’s okay to have challenges, we don’t have to fix everything. I wanted to show kids who are reading this that they may have challenges but they can overcome them. It presented a challenge at times but I wanted to show a character who lived with that like my mother did. Just because Petra had a visual dysfunction that did not deter from her journey, or what she wanted to do. But I also wanted to show that someone like Petra, or my mother, are not defined by their disease. Why did you decide to integrate that into her character?ĭBH: My mother had retinitis pigmentosa, it’s a degenerative eye disease, and I’m an eye doctor. Petra is an interesting character because she is very smart and capable but also has a major vulnerability. I hope that this book is one that kids will pick up and say, okay if I was leaving Earth for the last time, what would I do if I were Petra? What would I take with me? Overcoming ChallengesĪPP: Yes, I’m sure kids will wonder what they would take with them, I know I did. What it means to be human, Earth’s folklore, history, and mythology are all threatened. But story is threatened to be erased by people going into the future. Can you give us a quick summary of your book for those who haven’t read it?ĭBH: Basically It’s about a girl, Petra, who is leaving Earth for the last time, and has to choose something to take that is most important to her.

So I love that this book will allow some children to do that.ĪPP: I agree, it’s such an important book for the Latinx community but also for those outside of the community to learn something about it, including some Spanish sprinkled throughout.

But I also think that a reason that it’s important to me is because kids from outside cultures can pick up a book that is not about their culture and they learn something.

I never thought that a book like this would get noticed because it does represent my culture and kids like I was who need to see themselves in books. Does your book qualify as middle-grade?ĭBH: How does it feel? I mean, my initial reaction was shock! Having a story like this represented as a Newbery, where they’re looking at all books, and all cultures is huge to me.Turning Kids Into Bookworms: A Book List For Parents.Successful Author or Illustrator Visits.Schedule a Skype Visit with a Mixed-Up Files Author.

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The last cuentista amazon