Title: PEAK
1PEAK
- By by Roland Smith
- Interactive Novel
- PowerPoint
2Synopsis
- After Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New
York City skyscraper, he's left with two choices
wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with
his long-lost father, who runs a climbing
company in Thailand. But Peak quickly learns that
his father's renewed interest in him has strings
attached. Big strings. He wants Peak to be the
youngest person to reach the Everest summit--and
his motives are selfish at best. Even so, for a
climbing addict like Peak, tackling Everest is
the challenge of a lifetime. But it's also one
that could cost him his life. -
- Roland Smith has created an action-packed
adventure about friendship, sacrifice, family,
and the drive to take on Everest, despite the
incredible risk. Peak is a novel readers won't be
able to put down.
3Cover Talk
- Based on the cover of the book, answer the
following questions - In what time period does the story take place, in
your opinion? Why? - What can you predict about the main character in
the book? Why? - What can you predict about the themes in the
book? Why? - Why do you think the author used this color
scheme? - Why do you think the author used this font for
the title?
4Setting
- The story mainly takes place in and around the
area of Mount Everest. - It begins in New York City at the Woolworth
Building. - Most events of the story take place in and around
Mount Everest. Other settings include the
Peaks home, the courtroom, and Kathmandu. - How does the setting (the when and where of the
story) effect the main character? Why?
5Mount Everest Facts
Number of people to attempt to climb Mt. Everest
approximately 10,000. Number of people to
successfully climb Mt. Everest approx. 2,000.
Number of people who have died trying to climb
Mt. Everest 189. Height 29,028 feet, or 5 and
a half miles above sea level. This is equivalent
to the size of almost 20 Empire State
Buildings. Location part of the Himalaya
mountain range straddles border of Nepal and
Tibet. Named for Sir George Everest, a British
surveyor-general of India. Age approximately 60
million years old. Other names called
"Chomolungma" by Tibetans and Sherpas, which
means "Mother Goddess of the Earth. Also called
Sagarmatha. Countries visible from the summit
Tibet, India, and Nepal. First to climb to
summit Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
(Sherpa) on May 29, 1953.
6View of Everest from Base Camp
7Youngest to Ever Climb Everest?
- In May of 2010, a 13-year-old American boy became
the youngest climber to conquer Mount Everest,
the world's highest mountain, a climbing website
said. - Jordan Romero from Big Bear, California, scaled
the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) summit from the
Tibetan side, on the same day a Nepali man broke
his own world record for the most number of
successful Everest attempts. - "The team has just called in and confirmed that
they are standing on top of Mt. Everest,"
Romero's blog said. - "Their dreams have now come true. Everyone
sounded unbelievably happy." - The ascent has put Romero one step closer to
reaching his goal of climbing the highest
mountains on all seven continents. - Do you think children should be allowed to climb
Everest? Why or why not? - http//www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64L0TV201005
22
8Initiating Event
- What is it?
- The events or actions that set further events
in the story in motion. - The initiating event in the story occurs in the
beginning few chapters. It is when Peak is
caught climbing the skyscraper and is punished by
the court for his actions. - The rest of the story is focused upon the
development of this situation and how it impacts
the characters in the story. - Why is this such an unusual situation? Do you
think it could happen? Why or why not?
9Main Characters
- The main characters are Peak, his father, Sun-jo
and Zopa. - Other characters include the other climbers,
Yash and Yogi, Peaks family, Holly, and Captain
Shek. - Choose one character to describe in as much
detail as possible and draw a sketch of this
character. Include a border of objects
associated with this character.
Character Description
Character Sketch
Dont forget to add a border of objects
associated with the character you choose to
describe and sketch!
10Protagonist and Antagonist
- What is the protagonist?
- The protagonist is the main character of the
story, everything in the story revolves around
him/her/it. - Who is the protagonist of this story? Why?
- What is the antagonist?
- The antagonist is the character (or force) that
opposes the protagonist. - Who (or what) is the antagonist of this story?
Why? - Some would argue the antagonist of this story is
a force acting against the characters and not a
person. Why is this? Which do you think it is?
Why? Could it be both? Why or why not?
11Rising Actions
- What is it?
- The series of events that lead to the climax
of the story, usually the conflicts or struggles
of the protagonist. - Rising actions occur between the Initiating Event
and the Climax. - Work with a partner and answer the following
question -
- What are at least 4 rising actions that lead us
toward the climax in this story? Why?
12Climax
- What is it?
- The climax of the story is when the conflict of
the plot is resolved. It is often the most
exciting part of the story. It is sometimes
referred to as the turning point of the story,
when the plot changes for better or worse for the
protagonist, or main character. Often, the
antagonist is defeated in the climax. - What is the climax of this story, in your
opinion? Why? -
13Falling Actions
- What is it?
- Falling action is what results from the climax
and how the characters deal with it. - Falling actions occur between the climax and the
resolution of the story. - Work with a partner and answer the following
question -
- What are at least 2 falling actions that lead us
away from the climax in this story? Why?
14Resolution
- What is it?
- It is the end of the story and it occurs after
the climax. It is when you learn what happens
to the characters after the conflict has been
resolved. - What happens to Peak and Sun-jo at the end of the
book? Why? - Do you think the relationship between Peak and
his father will remain the same? Why or why not? - Write a short epilogue for this book explaining
what you think will happen to Peak and Sun-jo
after the story ends.
15Mood
- What is it?
- It refers to the general feeling the reader
gets when reading the story. - What is the mood of the story, in your opinion?
Why? - What is it?
- The theme of a story is what the author is
trying to convey in other words, the central
idea of the story. Short stories often have just
one theme, whereas novels usually have multiple
themes. The theme of a story is woven all the
way through the story, and the characters'
actions, interactions, and motivations all
reflect the story's theme. - What are the themes in this story, in your
opinion? Why?
Themes
16Genre
- This book is a work of Realistic Fiction.
- What is Realistic Fiction?
- They are stories which take place in the present
time. Often the basic setting is real, or very
similar to a real setting, but the characters are
fictional. A book is considered realistic fiction
if events in the story did not really happen but
could have. The characters are similar to real
people and their problems mimic real-life.. - What other books of this genre have you read?
17Author Information
- I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I
was five years old my parents gave me an old
manual typewriter that weighed more than I did!
It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in
my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of
course, when I was five I didn't know how to
spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved
the sound and the look of the letters on the
crisp white paper. - Things haven't changed much since then. I still
spend several hours a day in my room clacking
away and I still love the sound of the keyboard
and the look of the letters and words that
eventually turn into stories. The only difference
is that I can read now and I spell a lot better. - What else would you like to know about this
author?
18Cover Analysis
- After reading the book, re-evaluate the cover
and answer the following questions -
- Is this a good cover design, in your opinion?
Why or why not? - Why do you think the author chose this particular
cover design? - What clues about the story does this cover
provide?
19Reviews and Recommendations
- One of the reviews written for this book, is
- "'Here's the perfect antidote for a kid who
thinks books are boring. In his latest, Smith
(Cryptid Hunters) introduces 14-year-old Peak
Marcello (named by his mountaineering parents) as
he's arrested for scaling Manhattan's Woolworth
Building, in an attempt to graffiti his tag a
blue mountain peak high on the side of it. Peak
is headed for a long stint in juvie when his
estranged father swoops into the courtroom with a
solution that will get the media's newest darling
the papers have dubbed Peak 'Spider Boy'
immediately and far out of sight. Before the trek
to China, where Peak's father runs a commercial
climbing operation on the Tibetan side of Mount
Everest, Peak's English teacher, Vincent, gives
him two notebooks to fill, which will complete
his requirements for the school year. This
conceit allows Peak to tell his story in his own
wry voice and to share lots of Vincent's advice.
'A good writer should draw the reader in by
starting in the middle of the story with a hook,'
Peak recalls. 'I guess Vincent thinks readers are
fish.' The hook here is irresistible Peak will
try to become the youngest person ever to scale
Everest overcoming Chinese bureaucrats,
resentment of his father, rivalry with a Nepalese
teen who has the same goal, avalanches, icy
crevasses, howling winds, searing cold and many,
many frozen corpses to reach the 29,028-foot
summit. The nifty plotting, gripping story line
and Peak's assured delivery give those who join
this expedition much to savor. Ages 12-up.'
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Write your own recommendation for this book. Who
do you think should read this book? Why? - Give a star rating
20Visit the Website
- If you would like to explore the world of Roland
Smith and see the other books he has written, you
can visit the authors website!
There are many areas to explore, including
information about his books, a bio of the author,
and ways to contact him. This is a great
website!
http//www.rolandsmith.com/
Take a good look around. I love to hear from my
readers. You can email me here. Receive my
e-newsletter to learn whenever I have a new book
coming out, or something interesting to report.