Mount Everest

Gr 5–8—Both of these text-heavy volumes include information on the geology, ecology, and native cultures of their mountains, but Olympus emphasizes its storied history as the home of the Greek gods and mythical center of Greek culture. Everest, in contrast, spends more time on the decades-long quest to reach the summit and the technology that has enabled such an increasing number of climbers that they threaten its ecosystem. The texts are supplemented with sidebars about related topics and vintage and contemporary photos. Unfortunately, each book's single map will be of little help to readers. Everest is the better title of the two, but both mountains have been widely covered in extant titles. The books tend toward dryness and fail to provide either new information or perspective, making them additional report purchases.