No Summit out of Sight

May 19, 2014
Inspired by a mural in his California school depicting the highest mountain on each continent, nine-year-old Romero vowed that he would reach those "Seven Summits." Smoothly piloted by LeBlanc, this chronicle reveals how Romero, now 18, achieved this goal at a record-setting age, scaling each mountain under the guidance of his father and stepmother, professional athletes who compete in extreme adventure races. Romero sets the scene for each climbâfrom Mount Kilimanjaro in 2006 to Antarctica's Mount Vinson in 2011âwith notes on each region's culture, people, topography, climate, vegetation, wildlife, altitude, and atmospheric changes. While informative, segments detailing trip preparation and training are (expectedly) less gripping than accounts of perilous climbing expeditions; in the most dramatic one, Romero describes being slammed by an avalanche on Mount Everest. The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak. Photos document steps Romero's odyssey throughout the book and in a color insert. Ages 12âup.