The Last Beekeeper

Gr 4-6–Cartaya’s latest is his first that’s not self-narrated. Popular, Spanish-fluent Garcia should be an ideal choice, but her polyglot advantage gets occasionally overshadowed by an overemotive performance. That said, veering toward high energy is the better default for Cartaya’s fast-paced climate change–informed dystopic thriller. Twelve-year-old Yoly learns early “there’s always a catch” to “free” money. Yoly’s a techno-wiz but her older sister Cami is the one who understands reality. With their parents missing, the pair struggle to keep the family’s strawberry fields alive. Hoping to escape their finca, Yoly furtively accepts a scholarship for training to someday become a neurolink surgeon in technologically advanced Silo. When Cami ferrets out the real cost, Yoly must divert her prowess not only to save herself, but the lives of everyone they know and love.