Tales from the Top of the World

September 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-Hundreds of feet taller than its competitor in the altitude stakes, Everest is the epitome of challenge in the climbing world. Here readers are invited to accompany Pete Athans (who has climbed Everest some 14 times and stood on top of the world on 7 different occasions) on the arduous journey from below base camp to the summit. The matter-of-fact text is broken by tales of Athans's personal adventures-a rockfall on the West Ridge, a seracs crash in the Khumbu Icefall, a rescue in the Death Zone among them-and all are decorated with a plethora of color photos. Interspersed with the adventures are information boxes on such diverse topics as what to wear, high-altitude illnesses, and the "Eight-Thousanders" (all more than 26,247 feet high) to be found in the Himalayas (should you wish just slightly less challenge in your ascent). There are also several "Ask Mr. Everest" questions for Athans, along with his thoughtful answers. More detailed than Steve Jenkins's handsome The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest (Houghton, 1999), on a par with Jonathan Chester's nifty alphabetic approach in The Young Adventurer's Guide to Everest: From Avalanche to Zopkio (Tricycle, 2002), and simpler than Stephen Venables's more detailed To the Top: The Story of Everest (Candlewick, 2003), Athans's colorful work lends a personal touch to a dramatic endeavor, and may lure adventure-lovers high into the thin, cold air.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
A solid introduction to the world's highest mountain has a you-are-there feel. The Athanses have collaborated in a most fruitful way: Sandra as a narrative Sherpa of sorts and Pete as the raconteur of riveting adventure stories from his 14 attempts, in which he succeeded in summiting a staggering seven times. Sandra has lots of stunning facts to display--the 250 mph gusts of wind, the deadly snowstorms, the killer illnesses that can strike climbers--as well as notorious landscapes to explore: the Khumbu Icefall, the Death Zone, the Hillary Step. And certainly there are important questions to address, from the mountain's name in Tibetan and Nepalese to how one goes to the bathroom when there is no bathroom to go to. It all smoothly gathers, like snowflakes into a glacier, and a bright, dangerous and humbling portrait of Everest/Chomolungma/Sagarmatha takes shape. Pete adds handfuls of colorful episodes, mostly crackerjack moments of mayhem averted, which are made substantive by the many tack-sharp photographs. Local guides and porters are well incorporated into the story, as are regional customs and mountain culture. A smart, inclusive and evocative account of a mountain, its character and its past. (Nonfiction. 9-14)

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August 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 Young mountaineers with a yen to stand atop Mount Everest, if only in their minds, will find this an informative guide to both the climb itself and the almost superhuman effort it requires. Based on the experiences of a man who has tackled the peak 14 times and reached the summit on half as many occasions, the narrative (written by his sister) opens with quick looks at the mountain and the history of its ascension, then takes readers in succession from Base Camp up over the Khumbu Icefall, the Valley of Silence, the evocatively named Death Zone, and on to the final savagely strenuous push. Accompanying plenty of color photos of climbers and rugged slopes, frequent side boxes contain stories of feats and rescues, an Ask Mr. Everest feature, and background material from maps and charts to lists of required gear and types of high-altitude illness. This absorbing account of the increasingly popular climb and its many dangers is capped with notes on recent efforts to clean up the tons of trash left on the mountain and an excellent, age-appropriate resource list.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)