Peak by Roland Smith

Peak by Roland Smith

The air is so thin up here, Peak doesn't think he will ever be able to make it.  How can they really expect a 14-year-old to summit the tallest peak on earth?  If his father wasn't leading the expedition and if he hadn't gotten himself into trouble back in the states, this would not be happening.  But what is really going on here?  Why is his father so interested in him after ignoring him most of his life?  Is it really about wanting Peak to be the youngest person ever to summit on Mt. Everest? Why are the Chinese soldiers making repeated trips to check on the climbers?  And why is Peak's dad so interested in the Nepalese boy on the trip? 
(Booktalk by Nancy Keane, Booktalks Quick and Simple) 



Peak by Roland Smith

His name is Peak. Peak Marcello. It could be worse. His parent’s could have called in “Glacier” or “Crampon” or some other crazy mountain-climbing name. Peak is headed for a nice stint in Juvenile Detention for tagging. He was caught trying to put his trademark blue mountaintop symbol on the side New York City’s Woolworth Building.

57 floors up.

So maybe his parents aren’t the only people crazy about climbing.

Enter Peak’s dad to the rescue, to whisk him away from boring old school (and juvvie) and take him off on a life of adventure: Mr. Marcello is going to win fame and glory with his son as the youngest person ever to scale Mount Everest. At first Peak is excited, then he begins to discover just how painfully deadly that mountain climb can be. Pretty soon it’s not a question of “can he make it to the top” but “can he survive?”

If you like edge-of-your-seat survival adventure, this one’s for you.

(Booktalk by Kirsten Edwards, King County Library System)