Within Reach My Everest Story

Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting story of a young boy's determination to climb Mt. Everest. It is not just a thirteen year-old's fantasy, Mark is so focused and willing, that he gives up at least 3 high school years to pursue this quest. It is told as if Mark is keeping a journal, from when he first discovers mountain climbing on a camping trip when he is in the seventh grade. Mark becomes obsessed with climbing, and like any obsessed kid, it becomes his heart's desire to find a way to eventually climb Everest. I will say, I am pretty amazed at how he came up with the money to do all the traveling, buy the equipment and train on "smaller" mountains until he goes for Everest. Obviously, he is not your typical teenager. This is an amazing journey, and it is told through Mark's teenage eyes.


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A dog's Life The Autobiography of a Stray

A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book reminded me of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, which I read when I was a little girl, a long time ago. Even though I was a city girl, who had no pets at all, that book allowed me to see what a horse might be thinking or feeling as it meets up with both good and bad humans. Well, Ann M. Martin does a very good job on letting us see what life may be like for a stray dog. Squirrel and her brother Bone are born in a barn, and begin their lives as two close companions. As they grow a bit older, their mother leaves them, and eventually, Squirrel is on her own. There are good and bad humans, and good and bad animals, but the writing allows us to believe everything that Squirrel thinks and feels. This is a good story, even if you don't own a dog.


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Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

An interesting take on what life would be like if we had never recovered from Superstorm Sandy. I know many of the Plainfield students were without power and heat for over a week after that storm, so they may be able to relate to some of the things going on in this story. The moon has been hit by a huge meteor, and has moved closer to the earth, which causes major tsunamis, flooding, power outages, and earthquakes. Miranda lives with her mom and two brothers in a town in Pennsylvania, and they are coping with food shortages, oil shortages, and no electricity. We learn about all this through Miranda's journal. This is the first in a trilogy.


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