Climb or Die - Softcover

Grade 5-8-Danielle, 14, Jake, 13, and their parents are driving into the Colorado mountains toward their cabin when they encounter a sudden snow storm and crash. The teens decide to climb to the weather station on top of Mt. Remington to get help for their injured parents rather than attempt the 20-odd mile trek back the way they came. Working together to survive, athletic Danielle begins to appreciate her brother's ingenuity as he applies McGiver-like problem-solving skills to the situation, using a smattering of tools from his dad's toolbox to aid their climb. Jake learns that he has to trust his sister and depend on her strength and knowledge of mountain climbing. They eventually get help for their parents and anticipate a successful rehabilitation. The writing is crisp and clear as the siblings fight their way to the station, overcoming a rock slide, a fall on the rope, and other physical and mental challenges. Characterization is a bit obvious, but this is an adventure story. Rather than bogging readers down in detail, the story surges forward with an emphasis on action. The author includes a warning against anyone trying such a dangerous substitution of common tools for proper climbing equipment. The cover is attractive and the book should appeal to readers who enjoy an exciting tale.
Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-9. When their family's car careens off a slippery Rocky Mountain road in a blinding snowstorm, injuring both parents, it's up to 14-year-old Danielle and 13-year-old Jake to get help. Since they are so far from the highway, their only chance for survival is to scale nearby Mount Remington, where there is a staffed weather station. Through a combination of Danielle's athletic prowess and mountaineering experience and Jake's inventive abilities and creative thinking, the brother and sister set aside their˙20usual sibling rivalries and make the climb, facing a variety of dangers in a suspenseful survival story that younger YAs of both sexes will˙20enjoy. While Myers includes a disclaimer about the improvised˙20mountaineering techniques described in the story, he actually˙20tested them all, giving the novel's details an exciting realism.˙20 Merri Monks