Hana Banana Reads

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Age Range: 14 & up Release Date: June 6, 2017 Katherine Tegen Books 9780062382801 Finally cracking open a much-hyped-about book can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s exciting . You’ve been hearing great things about it everywhere, five-star reviews are all over the place, and you can’t wait to fall in love. On the other, high anticipation can often lead to the biggest letdowns. Happily, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is of the former. This fun and flirtatious romp through 18th century Europe has been talked about for months . And I must say, it lives up to the hype. Henry “Monty” Montague is, quite simply, a rogue. But oh, of the most lovable sort. He can often be found drinking, gambling, or getting it on with a pretty boy or girl in the shadows. Mostly, Monty is looking forward to his Grand Tour of Europe. To getting out of his stifling home with its even more stifling expecta...

***Upcoming Release!*** Saving Marty by Paul Griffin 9780399539077 Age Range: 10-14 Release Date: September 19, 2017 Dial Books for Young Readers In the wide array of animal stories, there is little I love more than one about a unique animal. We have our fair share of dog stories, wolf stories, and even cat stories, but with the notable exception of Wilbur, there aren’t many about pigs. Enter Marty. Paul Griffin’s own version of the dog story hit the scene last year with When Friendship Followed Me Home , a lovely tale about a boy and his dog. At the time, I was the Children’s Book Buyer for my store and this is how one of my most trusted reps pitched it to me: “It’s a story about a boy and his dog, where the dog doesn’t die!” It doesn’t take much to get me to read an animal book, but I do have to say I went into Friendship notably relaxed about the dog’s prospects. The beauty of this emotional and heartwarming story was how it wrenched you apart in other ways, wav...

***Upcoming Release!*** A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland 9780399546594 Age Range: 14 & up Release Date: September 5, 2017 G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers Everyone is afraid of something.  Whether it be heights or snakes or small spaces, there’s an entity that triggers a nerve for everyone. For this reader, it’s spiders and what I like to call a very healthy respect for the ocean (It’s an incredibly complex and fascinating place, but let’s be realistic here. Anything that lives there can move a lot faster than I can and will undoubtedly see me before I see it.). Esther Solar doesn’t know what her great fear is, but she has a list of fifty possibilities. For the Solar family is cursed, and each member is destined to die by the hand of their fear. Therefore, as long as she keeps a list of possible fears to avoid, Esther can never develop a full-on phobia and risk death by, say…lobster. A Semi-Definitive List of Wor...

The Song from Somewhere Else by A. F. Harrold illustrated by Levi Pinfold Age Range: 8-12 Release Date: July 3, 2017 Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books 9781681194011 In a small and quiet neighborhood, dangers are coming out of the shadows. But Francesca Patel is more focused on the harsh realities of life. And for her, reality comes in the shape of Neil Noble, the local bully. For reasons Frank can’t fathom, Noble has chosen her as his punching bag, seeking her out day after day to mercilessly taunt. What had she ever done to him? Then one day, the school oddity steps in to help. Nick Underbridge is considered just plain weird by his classmates. He’s too big, too quiet, too… different. And before Frank knows it, she finds herself in the strangest friendship she could have imagined. Harrold, author of The Imaginary , has penned a tale with a lyrically quiet beauty to it. The Song from Somewhere Else is thoughtful, powerful, and takes its time moving along in t...