Peak

• Genre: Fiction; young adult adventure
• Originally Published: 2007
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 760L; grades 5-9
• Structure/Length: 30 chapters; approx. 246 pages; approx. 7 hours on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello joins his father in Thailand to avoid juvenile detention after his attempt to climb a city skyscraper results in arrest. There, Peak faces the climbing challenge of a lifetime: Mount Everest.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Mild profanity (2 instances)

Roland Smith, Author

• Bio: Born in 1951 in Portland, Oregon, where he still lives; studied English at Portland State University; began working at a local children’s zoo, which led to a successful career in zoo keeping and animal care; finds inspiration for book ideas in his work with animals and his associated travel experiences
• Other Works: Zach’s Lie (2001); Jack’s Run (2005); Elephant Run (2007)
• Awards: Starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist (2007); National Outdoor Book Award Winner (Children’s; 2007)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Friendship
• Fatherhood
• Risk and Obsession

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of social and geographical contexts regarding Mount Everest and its climbers that influence the decisions of the main character and the people around him.
• Analyze short, paired texts and other resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Risk and Obsession and Fatherhood.