Everest is an action-packed and tension-filled story that inspires the reader to keep reading to find out if the summit has been reached. Choose your own adventure books like this one are so fun and quick to read in less than an hour. The reader is completely immersed in the story from the start because of the exciting language and second-person point of view. "You can't see Everest yet, but just the thrill of being so close makes you excited to get going" (Doyle p. 16). Both the introduction and expedition file help to engage the reader right away as well. The introduction sets up the plot line and setting, gives instructions on navigating the book, and provides background on each of the six main characters in the book. "YOU are about to join the youngest team ever to climb the tallest mountain on the planet. But will you reach the summit and set a new world record?" (Doyle p. 7). The character descriptions were helpful references that I referred back to throughout the story. The expedition file provides information about the people and culture of Nepal and a climbing guidebook. Highly recommend it for 8-11 year-olds and especially reluctant readers. Doyle, B., & Borgenicht, D. (2016). Everest. Smart Apple Media.
Edie's Native American mom was adopted by a white couple, and she wants to learn more about her family's Native heritage. She stumbles upon a box with letters signed by someone named Edith and headshots that look strikingly similar to her own visage. Edie later discovers that the letters were written by her biological grandmother. Christine Day weaves a plot line that entices the audience to keep reading to learn about the secrets surrounding Edie's family's past. Who was the woman in the photos? Why was Edie's mom adopted by a white couple?
The reader figures out by the end of the story that Edie's mom was ripped from her mother in the hospital because she was seen as an unfit mother. We learn from the author's note that the U.S. government routinely separated Native American families from the 1940s to the 1970s until the Indian Child Welfare Act was implemented in 1978. I Can Make This Promise should be required reading in all elementary schools in the United States. All Americans need to be aware of this reprehensible act so that it is prevented from happening again in the future.
Day, C. (2019). I Can Make This Promise. Harper Collins.
