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Display: A Mountain of Books to Read


First Ascent: The Epic Yosemite Rock Climbing Rivalry of Royal Robbins and Warren Harding
Written by Kate Messner
Illustrated by Steview Lewis
Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Conservancy Press, 2025. Informational Picture Book.

How two "fathers of rock climbing" engaged in a daring game of one-upmanship, pushing the sport to new heights as they racked up first ascents of big wall climbs around Yosemite Valley in the 1950s and 60s, ultimately paving the way for a modern era of rock climbing with a focus on leave-no-trace environmental ethics. -- Publisher.

Written by Anita Yasuda
Illustrated by Yuzo Shimizu
New York: Clarion Books, 2024. Biography.

Anita Yasuda's evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest. -- Publisher

By Audrey Salkeld
Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2000. Biography. 64 pages.

Discusses the life of British mountain climber, George Mallory, the discovery of his body seventy-five years after his death, and the debate over whether Mallory was the first person to reach the top of Mount Everest. -- Publisher

Written by Ma Isabel SĆ”nchez Vegara
Illustrated by Bandana Tulachan
Beverly, MA: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2024. Biography. 

From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. -- Publisher

Written by Rachel Elliot
Illustrated by Genevieve Lacroix
New York: Thames & Hudson, 2024. Informational. 48 pages.

Using clever die-cut flaps and gatefold pages, the book details how mountains are formed, shows a cut-through of the interior structure of a mountain, and describes the effects of changing seasons and climates on mountains in different parts of the world. Expedition logs encourage readers to use their senses to explore each location as they climb. -- Publisher

Written by Alexandra Stewart
Illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton
New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. Biography. 64 pages.

In the late morning of May 29, 1953, the sun was shining brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing on the highest elevation of the world--and two men were there to witness it for the first time ever. Their names were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, and they had ascended Everest. This is the breathtaking story of how two very different, yet equally determined, men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds, and death-defying ridges to reach the top of the world's highest mountain. -- Publisher

By Emma Carlson Berne
North Mankato, MN: Capstone Compass Books, 2014. Informational. 64 pages.

Discusses team photographer Alfred Gregory's pictures of the May 1953 expedition during which he captured Hillary and Norgay, with the imposing Himalayas spread out behind them, as they neared the summit of Mount Everest. -- Publisher

By Tod Olson
New York: Scholastic Focus, 2020. Informational. 265 pages.

A nail-biting tale of survival and brotherhood atop one of the deadliest mountains on Earth. Filled with displays of incredible strength and heart-stopping danger, Into the Clouds is the thrilling story of the men whose quest to conquer a mountain became a battle to survive the descent. -- Publisher

By Rebecca Barone
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2024. 173 pages.

Mountain of Fire is the narrative nonfiction account of the violent volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, the story of the people who died, those who survived, and the heroes who fought to raise an alarm. -- Publisher

By Nimsdai Purja
Washington, DC: National Geographic Kids, 2022. 166 pages.

Join Nepalese climber Nimsdai Purja as he recounts his journey to scale all 8,000 meter "Death Zone" mountains in seven months. In this action-packed memoir, young readers will not only learn how Nimsdai physically accomplished this incredible feat, but also how his attitude, leadership skills, and willingness to learn from mistakes took him to the top. From his childhood growing up in Nepal, to a career as an elite soldier in the British army, Nimsdai shows how his early life shaped him and enabled him to go beyond what people though was possible. -- Publisher

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