Peak

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. What serious error does Peak make while he is climbing the skyscraper?

2. What happens to Peak because he climbs the skyscraper?

3. Why is it problematic when an unknown boy imitates Peak’s actions and is killed after attempting to climb a building?

4. What is Josh Wood’s occupation?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What agreement is reached in court to prevent Peak from going to jail?

2. What is Peak’s relationship with Vincent, and how do they feel about each other?

Paired Resource

“Mountaineering”

• This encyclopedia article explains what mountaineering is and the history behind it.
• Describe mountaineering and how it differs from other sports.

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What surprise does Peak’s father reveal to him after Peak has a physical exam?

2. Why does Peak need to wait two weeks before going to the base camp?

3. What reason does Zopa give for replacing Peak’s new gear with older gear?

4. What secret is being kept from Peak’s mother?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Peak’s relationship with his father like?

2. What are some of the issues climbers encounter while attempting to scale Mount Everest?

Paired Resource

“Why Mount Everest’s Death Toll Keeps Climbing”

• This article explains why Everest is so dangerous to climb and why it is more dangerous now than in the past.
• What are the dangers of climbing Mount Everest? Why is it more dangerous now than it has been in the past? How does this connect to the theme of Risk and Obsession?

Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. Why is Peak concerned when he learns that Josh has invited Holly Angelo to “cover” him?

2. What secret does Josh want Peak to keep?

3. Why does Josh agree to take Holly on the climb?

4. Who is rumored to be hiding in the camp?

5. What is a puja ceremony?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe Holly Angelo’s character. How do the people in the camp, along with Peak, feel about her?

2. Josh asks Peak if he is ready to climb 21,000 feet after he has spent time assisting victims of an avalanche and people with altitude sickness. What does this reveal about Josh?

Paired Resource

“Unsung Heroes of Everest”

• This 14-minute National Geographic video explains the important role the Sherpa play on Mount Everest. The video includes pictures of the different camps, climbing routines, and the cost of attempting to summit the mountain.
• What important role do the Sherpa people play in assisting climbers on Mount Everest? What in this video surprised you about the living conditions, costs, or lifestyles of people who hike Mount Everest? How does this connect to the theme of Fatherhood?

Chapters 16-21

Reading Check

1. What is the significance of the letters Peak receives from his family?

2. Why is it risky for Sun-jo to be on the mountain?

3. What is Peak’s concern about Sun-jo climbing the mountain with him?

4. What does Zopa reveal to Peak, and how does it make Peak feel?

5. What happens to Sun-jo after the German climbers die?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is trust important on Mount Everest, and which characters have broken trust with Peak?

2. Compare the motives of Zopa and Josh. How are their goals aligned? What makes Zopa’s motives different from Josh’s?

Paired Resource

“Jordan Romero of U.S., 13, Youngest to Scale Everest”

• A short NPR article describing the youngest person to climb Mount Everest
• Who is the youngest person to scale Mount Everest? Why do you think his family has been criticized for permitting him to climb it?

Chapters 22-30

Reading Check

1. Peak originally believed his mother stopped climbing because of an injury. What does his mother reveal is the actual reason?

2. Why has Josh permitted Sun-jo to climb Mount Everest with Peak?

3. Why is Josh forced to leave camp with Zopa?

4. What is Josh’s plan after Peak leaves camp?

5. What happens to Sun-jo on the ice wall, and how does Peak react?

6. What is camp six known as?

7. What happens when Sun-jo and Peak are within 20 feet of the summit?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Josh tells Peak at the novel’s beginning that he wants Peak to climb Mount Everest for Josh’s own monetary gain, but also to help Peak improve himself. What does Peak learn as he reaches the summit of Mount Everest?

2.     What does Peak ask Sun-jo to do at the summit, and why is it significant? How does the event connect to the novel’s theme of Friendship?

Recommended Next Reads

Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman

• A novel about a boy who attempts to climb the highest peak in the Alps after his father’s death
• Shared topics include Mount Everest, perseverance, survival, and deadly situations.
• Shared themes include Risk and Obsession and Fatherhood.
• Banner in the Sky on SuperSummary

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

• A novel about a boy who is stranded and struggles to survive in the Canadian wilderness
• Shared topics include dangerous situations, complicated family dynamics, survival, maturity, and perseverance.
• Shared themes include Fatherhood.
• Hatchet on SuperSummary