Peak

Roland Smith
F SMI

This is a fantastic book!

Peak is an athletic kid who doesn't quite fit in with his family and school in New York City. He likes to scale the sides of skyscrapers (climb right up the glass and concrete!) all the way to the top, which is illegal of course!  When Peak gets caught, he has to chose between jail or spending some time with a mountain climbing celebrity who happens to be his father. 

Peak wants to get to know his dad, and his visit is made even more exciting by the fact that his dad is leading a group of climbers to the top of the tallest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest.  The trip is further complicated when Peak discovers that his dad wants to make Peak the youngest person to summit, or reach the top of Mt. Everest.  This is a dangerous climb where people die trying to reach their goal.  

Peak introduced me to the fascinating world of high-altitude climbing.  I also learned something about the culture of the people who live around Mt. Everest and the people who chose to risk their lives to climb these super-high mountains. However, it is mostly a story about a boy seeking a relationship with his father and figuring out what is really important in life.

I would recommend this book to anyone at any age above ten who likes a good adventure book.

The Familiars

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson 
F EPS


This book is a great fantasy for kids!  I am normally not a fan of stories from animals' point-of-view, but this book is an exception. 

This is the story of Aldwyn, a regular ol' stray cat who winds up a young wizard boy's "familiar" when he takes shelter in a rather special pet shop while being chased down by a bounty hunter for stealing fish.  Aldwyn meets two other animals familiars, a bird and a frog.  At first, Aldwyn's greatest concern is that he doesn't actually have any magic--he was only hiding out in the magical pet shop!  But literally overnight his priorities shift as the young wizards are kidnapped by an evil, magical queen and the three animals are told they are the only ones able to rescue their companions and save their kingdom from disaster!

It is a typical quest fantasy, but it is wonderfully told in a straight-forward story with fun and magic!  It has a high lexile level (940), but the number and motivations of the characters keep it a relatively easy-to-understand fantasy. 

I think it is great introduction to the fantasy genre for advanced third graders all the way into middle school.