Hana Banana Reads

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken Age Range: 10-14 Release Date: September 5, 2017 Disney-Hyperion 9781484778173 “‘With stories like these, it’s best to start at the very beginning,’ Uncle Barnabas said. ‘Tell me, Prosperity, what do you know about the family curse?’” Prosper Redding comes from power, his family existing as practical royalty in the town of Redhood. Everything notable to happen there can be traced back through the family line, and everyone in that line is absurdly gifted in some way. Unfortunately, Prosperity Oceanus Redding can boast none of this family talent. And to top it off, being the odd Redding out also means every person in Redhood knows it. Things take a seriously unexpected turn when Prosper is made privy to the demon living inside him, and suddenly, being unexceptional doesn’t seem so bad. Alastor has spent nearly half of his eight hundred years dormant, just waiting for his chance to resurface. Oh, and when he...

The Hawkweed Prophecy  and  The Hawkweed Legacy by Irena Brignull Age Range: 13 & up Release Date: September 6, 2016 and August 15, 2017 9781602863132 and 9781602863149 Weinstein Books There was a time last year when an ARC of The Hawkweed Prophecy found its way to me. It had all the right elements to catch my intrigue: magic, schemes, wickedness… And witches. Witches are not currently as prominent in literature as I would like, and their presence is almost always guaranteed to catch my eye. However, for whatever strange universe/timing issue, I just couldn’t get into the story. It has been over a year, and having just been given the opportunity to read both The Hawkweed Prophecy and its newly published sequel, The Hawkweed Legacy , I decided to give it another go. Which just goes to show you, timing truly is everything. I could not put this dark and twisty story down this time around, and Irena Brignull, if you are reading this, my sincerest apologies fo...

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...

It has now been exactly one year since the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script book hit the shelves. This is one of those momentous days, much like the recent ten-year anniversary of Deathly Hallows , where fans everywhere sit back and reminisce on where they were and what they were doing this time last year. For most, it was a midnight release party of some sort the night before. For others, it was running to the nearest bookstore the minute it opened. For everyone, it was a weekend of nostalgia and a resurgence of affection for the boy who lived. Now, we could talk about characterization and story issues in Cursed Child until we’re all blue in the face (and many of us have), but these are not what I want to focus on in this moment of reflection. I want to look back and think on what it meant to be a Harry Potter fan on this day, and on the familiar anticipatory buzz in the air that surrounded Cursed Child ’s release. For that buzz, that crackling energy in the air duri...