Peak by Roland Smith
4 stars
Peak never thought about how much trouble he could get into when he began climbing skyscrapers and spray painting murals of mountains on the sides of buildings. To him, they were works of art. He also loved the thrill of the risky climb. When Peak is caught and arrested, a copycat climber decides to mimic Peak’s stunts– only to fall to his death. In order to avoid a long stint in a juvenile detention center, 14 year-old Peak agrees to live with his father – a man he barely knows. Peak is led to believe that his father, Josh, wants a chance to establish a relationship with him. He later finds out his father, the owner of a climbing expedition group that scales Mount Everest, has an agenda of his own. Josh wants Peak to be the youngest climber ever to reach the summit of Everest.Will Peak risk his life in order to please his father? Will he climb Mount Everest to prove his determination and skills to his family and to himself? I am normally not a fan of outdoor “survival stories” but Peak had me hooked. The thrill of the climb, the threat of death that lingers around every peak and valley, the friendship and competition between Peak and Sun-jo (another young climber) all make this an interesting read. The ending is also a great surprise. Recommended.
Greetings from the great Northwest. We are a big fan of Roland Smith here at Baker Middle School in Tacoma and use his books in all of our sixth grade language arts classrooms. I am writing for selfish reasons as my kids have been bombarding me with requests for Mr. Smith to visit our school and talk to them about himself and what it takes to be a great writer. Mr. Smith...if your in this loop..."Mr. Smith please come to Washington!" We could make this a big deal for our school and the Tacoma School District overall. Thank you all! MK
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