The Climb & The Summit, by Gordon Korman

These are the last two books in a three book series Everest. They completely captured my attention. I stayed up late to finish and delayed doing other work. These are going to be sure-fire hits with young adolescent readers. They also provide some launching off points to look at Tibet, Nepal, mountaineering, commercial sports corporations, and ethics. I recommend the series strongly.

The Contest, by Gordon Korman, 2002

This started a bit slowly for me. It begins with a contest to climb Everest that Dominic Alexis is determined to win. The adventure is for a famous mountaineer to guide a team of teens to the top of Everest, the youngest climbing team ever. Dom's older brother, Chris has already been accepted into the training camp by virtue of his status as a climber. Dom wins inclusion in the camp by finding the letters spelling out EVEREST in a contest sponsored by a sports bar/drink manufacturer.

The first part of the book is all about picking the four teens who will climb from the initial pool of ten. Lots of drama, some climbing. But, when the finalists have training run in Alaska the adventure begins. I was reading sort of complacently--teen drama etc. I was planning to take a bit of a nap part way through.

Then I hit the Alaska climb. I don't know if Korman's descriptions of climbing strategies is accurate, but they sure are thrilling. I will be reading the next two books in the series.

Book one in Korman's Everest series. Lexile 690, Ages 9-12.

Vanishing Act, by John Feinstein

I'm very glad that Feinstein has started writing YA fiction. (See excerpt from the NPR Biography below)

Vanishing Act is about women's tennis. Set at the US Open the book not only shows the "inside" of tennis but also deals with the issues of sport "agents" and the PR tricks they play. You don't need to be a sports fan to enjoy these books (his first was about basketball) however a little knowledge will enrich your pleasure. I think I liked this one better because I know much more about tennis than basketball.

Feinstein is the sports commentator for NPR. He has also contributed to The Washington Post and Sporting News Radio since 1992, America Online since 2000 and Golf Digest and Gold World since 2003. Feinstein began his career in 1977, writing about politics and sports for The Washington Post. After an 11-year stint, he left the Post and became a special contributor to Sports Illustrated from 1988-90, and National Sports Daily from 1990-91. He returned to the Post as a contributor the following year. Feinstein first gained national attention when his book, A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, topped The New York Times best-seller list for 16 consecutive weeks, from January - August 1987. (National Public Radio)