Part of Series
Fifteen-year-old Peak Marcello hasn’t climbed since intentionally failing to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He’s been enjoying life at sea level, spending his time with the Two Peas—his younger twin sisters—and being a regular, law-abiding teenager. But then his old climbing buddies, JR, Will, and Jack, show up with an offer Peak may not be able to refuse: the International Peace Ascent. The billionaire Sebastian Plank is recruiting a global team of young climbers to make an inspiring, world-uniting documentary. Peak’s been chosen as the U.S. representative. A part of him wants to stay home and out of the spotlight. But another part is itching to get back out there. In the end, the itch has got to be scratched, and Peak, along with his mom, is helicoptered in to a remote base camp in the Hindu Kush Mountains. But the trip quickly goes from good time to nightmare. Attacked by an unknown and unseen enemy, some of the climbers are kidnapped—including Peak’s mom. Peak has no choice but to go after them.
Author
Roland Smith is an American author of young adult fiction as well as nonfiction books for children. Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Portland State University and, following a part-time job at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, began a 20-year career as a zookeeper, both at the Oregon Zoo and the Point Defiancé Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. After working to save wildlife following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, in 1990, he published his first book, Sea Otter Rescue, a non-fiction account of the process of animal rescue. Smith continued to draw upon his zoo experiences for other non-fiction titles, including Journey of the Red Wolf, which won an Oregon Book Award in 1996. In 1997, Smith published his first novel, Thundercave. The book continues Smith's theme, as teenage protagonist Jacob Lansa follows his biologist father to Africa where the father is researching elephants. The Lansa character also appears in 1999 s Jaguar and 2001's The Last Lobo. Other novels by Smith include The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe, Zach's Lie, Jack's Run, Cryptid Hunters, Sasquatch (novel), about a boy who searches for Bigfoot. Peak, the story of a teenage boy obsessed with climbing mountains, Elephant Run and Tentacles(novel). In 2008, Smith published the first book in the series I, Q, titled Independence Hall. Smith's books have won "Book of the Year" awards in Colorado, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as in his native Oregon. Smith lives in Tualatin, Oregon with his wife and stepchildren.
