Birdeye, Tom Storm Mountain

Birdeye, Tom Storm Mountain
Holiday House 2010 135p 16.95
978-0-8234-2130-5 ms/hs Realistic Fiction E-BN
Cat follows her impulsive cousin Ty onto Storm Mountain where their fathers were killed in a storm. After an avalanche, Cat needs to use all her mountaineering skills to help them survive. When her cousin Ty arrives at her doorstep with the crazy idea to climb Storm Mountain to sprinkle the ashes of their twin brother fathers from the summit, Cat tries to convince him it is a life risking plan. Discovering he left without her, Cat tries to catch him and bring Ty home. With a storm approaching, Cat finds Ty with her dog Mugs and they head down. In whiteout conditions they slip into a crevasse. Cat applies all her mountaineering skills and climbs out of the crevasse. Ty finds another route and they proceed on down. As the wind and snow pick up, they try to find shelter. Using Mugs as a blanket the teens settle for the night in a shallow snow cave. They are just barely rescued the next morning, due to the effects of the storm.
Weeks later, the teens and their mothers climb the mountain from the easier side and complete their mission.
The characters are well developed and ring true in their speech and actions. The author’s vast knowledge and familiarity with mountaineering lends an authentic note to the narrative.
The suspense and tension in the life-threatening situations will keep students reading
to the end to find out what happens.
Excellent read for middle school up. Theal, Joan
Mountain rescue