14-year-old Peak Marcello - yes, that's his real name; his father is a famous mountain climber - has a passion for climbing. But in New York City, where he lives with his mother, stepfather and twin sisters, there aren't any mountains to climb...but there ARE skyscrapers! (Read excerpt pg. 4)
Peak is arrested for scaling and spray-painting graffiti on the Woolworth Building in NYC. And this isn't his first incident - the police have been trying for some time to catch the mysterious climber that has been leaving a blue mountain peak tag on skyscrapers throughout the city. Now Peak is about to be sentenced to nearly 3 years in a juvenile correction center. That is, until Peak's father Josh, who Peak hasn't seen in over 7 years, suddenly bursts into the courtroom and strikes a deal with the judge. The plea bargain ensures that Peak will be long gone and out of sight while also guaranteeing positive publiciy and financial gain for Josh's Himalayan mountain expedition company. Less than 48 hours later, Peak finds himself on his way to Kathmandu in Nepal, to his father's base camp at the foot of Mt. Everest. Slowly, Peak starts to figure out why his father was so anxious to rescue him in New York. (Read excerpt pg. 74).
But, in order to be the youngest climber to summit Everest, Peak has less than 3 months to acclimatize, train, and reach the summit in his first attempt, before his 15th birthday in June. Can he make it? Or will Sun-Jo, the 14-year-old grandson of his father's head Sherpa, who just happens to have a birthday 6 days before Peak, make it ahead of him? Better watch your back, Peak!
by Kelley Gibson
(from Nancy Keane's booktalking course)
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