Savage Mountain

Gr 5–8—Brothers James and Sebastian react differently to their oppressive father's abuse. Sebastian tries to be the perfect son, achieving in school and personal life, while James is a rebel always getting in trouble. Neither approach works. So they decide to spend their summer climbing a mountain and prove they are "real men" to their Vietnam-vet, football-playing father. While they are not able to change their relationship with their dad, they are able to get to the summit and grow as people and brothers. Set in the interior of Alaska, this novel balances family dynamics, brother-bonding, and high-stakes adventure. Set in the 1980s, any possible technological solutions (such as a cell phone) are plausibly removed. The main characters are well developed and readers get good insights into their personalities and inner thoughts. The mountaineering and Alaskan drama is both realistic but also exotic, suspenseful, and exciting. The only drawback is that occasionally Smelcer tends toward the moralistic and didactic, relying on narration to prove a point instead of more natural plot or character development. That should not keep this book from appealing to reluctant readers, though.