Smith, Roland.
PEAK
Orlando : Harcourt, 2007
IL YA
ISBN 0152024174

(3 booktalks)

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 #2

Peak, yes that’s his name (his parents are well known mountain climbers), has a need to climb.  But in NYC there aren’t any nearby mountains to climb­but there are skyscrapers.  Peak is caught scaling a sky scraper and attempting to tag the top. His mother and stepfather are at a loss as to what to do, and Peak almost ends up in juvenile detention.  Luckily for Peak, his long-absent father steps in to save the day. Peak soon finds himself at the base camp of Mt. Everest on the Chinese side. His father would like him, and fully expects him, to become the youngest person ever to summit Mt. Everest. If the mountain doesn’t get to him first.    (New Hampshire Isinglass Award Nominee, 2008-2009)

Booktalk #3

Peak Marcello, a boy who loves to climb, is about to go on the greatest adventure of his life. His parents are some of the best climbers in the world, and he takes after their legacy. He climbs skyscrapers illegally to "tag", or spray paint his logo, on them. One day it all goes wrong. He gets hurt while climbing a skyscraper and eventually the police and paramedics have to come to rescue him. He got in a lot of trouble, and instead of prison, the judge decided to send Peak to live with his dad in Tibet for a year.

Peak had not seen his dad in a long time, so he was overjoyed. When he got there, his dad handed him a bunch of climbing equipment. What was this about? Maybe he would just let him climb a simple mountain for fun. What Peak did not know was that his dad intended for him to climb Mount Everest. Not only would he reach the summit, but he would be the youngest person ever to do so. Read the book to find out if he gets there, and what happens along the way. It is a great Adventure book for middle school students, especially if you like climbing! (Sergey G., student)