Peak by Roland Smith

Peak is a quirky little book about a 14-year-old son of two mountain climbers who gets himself in trouble by scaling buildings in NYC.  Once he's arrested, his disengaged father shows up and offers to get him out of the country in exchange for him avoiding jail time.  The narrator, Peak, soon finds out that his dad's plan is for him to climb Mt. Everest.  The book deals realistically with the physical and mental pain Peek experiences - from the climb, missing his family, sorting out his relationship with his dad, and befriending the son of a sherpa who accompanies him on his journey.  The character development is good, the plot keeps you going, and the overall message is nice.  It would be a good choice for seventh-grade Reading Bowl.