Hana Banana Reads

***Upcoming Release!*** The Speaker by Traci Chee Age Range: 13 & up Release Date: November 7, 2017 G.P. Putnam Son's Books for Young Readers 9780399176784 A slew of spectacular Young Adult fantasy books hit the shelves last fall, including quite a few strong debuts. One of the standouts was called The Reader by Traci Chee. With a gorgeous blue eye-catching cover and a synopsis to draw in any bookworm, The Reader was a knockout. It followed Sefia, an orphaned girl set out for revenge on the people who took her family from her. Her most treasured possession was a strange rectangular object previously guarded by her parents. An object called a book. In a world where the written word is unheard of, books holds power. And with that power come those willing to do anything to possess it. On her journey, Sefia rescues a mute young man by the name of Archer, kidnapped and forced into fighting rings for a ruthless pirate. Somehow, the notorious pirate Serakeen is ...

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...

Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas Age Range: 8-12 Release Date: May 30, 2017 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 9781481497848 There are a lot of fantasy stories. There are especially a lot of fantasy stories written for the elementary school age, and it can be a challenge to know which is going to be unique at first sight. Will this be something new? Or will it feel like a copy of those that have come before it? Well, I am here to tell all of you, Dragon’s Green is definitely not a knockoff. It is something incredibly and undeniably special. Thomas’s first novel for children boasts a lot of the elements often featured in this sort of fantasy tale: the young hero learning of her power, and the discovery of a magical community hidden just beyond the regular world we know. There are even elements of timeless classics such as Inkheart , but none of these feel borrowed or overdone. They feel as exciting and wondrous as they did before you as a reader star...