This work is for ages 8-14. This book reveals the murky past and uncertain future of the tasty banana. Almost unknown in North America before the 1870s, bananas quickly became a popular fruit with a rocky history. Colourful photographs and maps help explain who grows your bananas, how they are harvested, and why the banana may soon become extinct. Other topics include: what is a commodity?; the spread of bananas through trade routes; where and how bananas are grown; the growth of the banana plantations and banana republics; technical and genetic improvements to the banana, including new varieties; environmental issues such as land use and pesticides; why bananas are becoming extinct.