The Last Beekeeper

By Pablo Cartaya

Informational Resources:

Author Information: 

Author website: 

https://www.pablocartaya.com/

Author videos and interviews: 

https://authorsunbound.com/pablo-cartaya/

Activities & Resources:

Activities:

Bees:

Bee Facts for Kids: 

https://www.itsybitsyfun.com/bee-facts-for-kids.html

Top 10 Bee Facts for Kids You Need to Know/Why Are Bees Important to Our Survival (7:37): 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Jsm7_Z-0Qo

Pollination Science Experiment: https://jdaniel4smom.com/2015/04/fun-science-experiments-pollinatation.html

Beehives:

Inside the Hive: 

https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/inside-the-beehive

Take a honey bee hive virtual tour: 

https://askabiologist.asu.edu/virtual-beehive

Virtual Beehive Tour (25:53): 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8eb_liWiswI

Climate Change:

NASA’s Guide to Climate Change for Kids: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/kids-guide-to-climate-change/

Climate Change for Kids (11:35): 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkvPdUtYhX8

Climate Change - The Environment for Kids (5:00): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJoAcD0oUww

Extinction:

National Geographic Kids Extinct Animals: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/extinct-animals/

MakerSpace Activities:

Bees: 

Make an origami bee: 

https://www.origami-tutorial.com/origami-bee.html

Draw a Realistic Bee (13:19): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho4aUHY6fss

Beehives: 

Create a Bee Habitat: 

https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/mason-bee-habitat/

Create a Bee Hotel Activity to allow learners to explore how they can help positively impact the environment that surrounds them and society as a whole: https://pinnguaq.com/learn/construct-a-bee-hotel-activity/

Discussion Questions:

What was the town of Silo known for? Why is it so important?

Describe what life looks like for people in Silo.

Why is it so important for Yolanda to finish her class and apprenticeship?

Do you think the retreat was a positive or negative experience for Cami? Explain why you think this is.

What reasons does Cami give as to why Yolanda should not take the scholarship?

Why aren’t Yolanda and Cami able to get the strawberries to grow the way they should?

What was strange about Arelis’ behavior during the video conference? 

How are the bugs depicted in the Scourge? Do you think this was done on purpose?  Do you think Yolanda made a poor decision by accepting the scholarship before reading the terms? Why or why not?

What did Cami find in the fine print of the scholarship contract? How did Yolanda feel about this?

Why do you think Cami always insists on turning off the v-probe when having serious conversations?

What caused the bees to die off?

If you were Yolanda, what would you do next after receiving the message from Arelis?

What makes honey so valuable?

What is the purpose behind keeping the bees at a cooler temperature?

What advice do the Tanaka’s give to Yolanda and Cami?  Do you think they should listen to Tanaka's advice?

What does Yolanda witness happening to her farm through the monitors at the Mayor’s office?

Who has been controlling Mayor Blackburn all along?

What happened to Mayor Blackburn and Hortensia?  

What exciting news do the girls receive when Valle starts glitching?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the reader’s theater for The Last Beekeeper.

Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award YouTube channel for The Last Beekeeper.

Read Alikes: 

Dystopia

Case, Jonathan. Little monarchs. In the twenty-second century, a sun shift has made it impossible for mammals to survive in the daylight, and ten-year-old Elvie and her caretaker, Flora, are studying the migration route of monarch butterflies along what used to be the western coast of the United States, hoping that something in the butterflies wing scales can be used to protect people from the sun and save humanity from extinction. (Novel List Plus)

Sherwood, Monica. The ice house. To escape the grief plaguing their homes after being trapped for months due to a climate disaster, Louisa and Luke build a massive snow fort that unexpectedly sends them on a mission to restore the universe to its rightful order.  (Novel List Plus)

Higuera, Donna Barba. The last cuentista. Habâia una vez...There lived a girl named Petra Peäna, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children--among them Petra and her family--have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet--and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinisterCollective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard--or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again? (Novel List Plus)

Suspense

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. The school for whatnots. Delving into the power of privilege, the importance of true friendship and the question of humanity and identity, this novel follows fifth grader Max as he searches for his best friend who disappeared, leaving behind a strange note. (Novel List Plus)

DiTerlizzi, Tony. The search for WondLa. Living in isolation with a robot on what appears to be an alien world populated with bizarre life forms, a twelve-year-old human girl called Eva Nine sets out on a journey to find others like her. Features "augmented reality" pages, in which readers with a webcam can access additional information about Eva Nine's world. (Novel List Plus)

Reviews:

Cartaya, Pablo. The Last Beekeeper. HarperCollinsPublishers/Harper, 2022.

Booklist

The Last Beekeeper.

By Pablo Cartaya (author) Carlos Velez (illustrator)

July  2022. 304p. Harper, $16.99 (9780063006553) Grades 4-8.

REVIEW: First Published June 1, 2022 (Vol. 118, No. 19) (Booklist). 

Award-winning author Cartaya has written a thrilling sf story set in a world almost destroyed by the effects of climate change. Yolanda Cicerón always planned on leaving behind the family finca and working at Silos, the most technologically advanced city. When the farm cannot produce ripe strawberries to sell and her sister can no longer afford to pay for Yolanda’s tuition, Mayor Blackburn offers to help—but with the mayor, everything comes at a price. Soon after, Yolanda reads through her grandmother’s journal and discovers what is now the last-known beehive. These pollinating insects may be the key to freeing her from the grasp of Mayor Blackburn and uncovering the dark truth about Silos and the disappearance of her family. The Last Beekeeper raises powerful questions about a possible future if efforts of environmental preservation fail. A middle-grade dystopian story with well-written female characters and interesting world building, this appealing title teaches readers that one person can make all the difference in creating positive change. —Michelle Ortega 

Used with the permission of Booklist  https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal starred (August 1, 2022) 

Gr 4-6-Cartaya's newest novel gives readers a dynamic, plot-driven story with heart. Set in the future after climate disasters and constant virtual connectivity have altered the way of life, the plot centers Yoly Cicerón, who wants to go to school to become a surgeon-not a farmer in the Valley like her exiled parents. After accepting a scholarship from the powerful Silo without reading the fine print, Yoly soon realizes that all of the connectivity is just another way for a few affluent people to control impoverished families like hers and keep them in debt. After discovering their abuela's writings about the fabled bees and their importance in pollination, Yoly and her older sister Cami go on a mission to revitalize their family farm, clear their debts, and save the Valley from the Silo. Readers will find Yoly authentic and endearing even when she makes rash decisions. The depiction of Latinx culture intertwined with the culture of the Valley and the Silo bring necessary texture to the plot. The relationships Yoly builds and her realizations about the beauty of connecting with people in-person happens naturally. While some of the motivation of the villains falls a little flat at the end, the purpose of the hero remains, and ultimately sparks conversation about our own climate crisis. An action-packed adventure that reflects our own mistakes and predicts our fears for the future. Similar titles include Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember and Rodman Philbrick's The Last Book in the Universe. VERDICT Highly recommended for middle school readers who enjoy dystopian adventures and science.-Hilary Tufo © Copyright 2022. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal ©2022

Additional Reviews Available

• Horn Book Magazine, 07/01/22

• Kirkus Reviews, 05/01/22

• Publishers Weekly, 05/23/22

• School Library Connection, 08/01/22