Join us today for our stop on the blog tour of ‘I Don’t Do Mountains!’ by Barbara Henderson.
Review by Sarah Broadley – see our Guest Post by Barbara Henderson in our ‘Reading Matters’ section!
Kenzie can’t believe it. There is no way on Earth she is going on a school trip to walk around some awful mountains in the rain with people she doesn’t know or even like! When her mum buys all the things from the school’s kit list, it’s too late, she knows she is not getting out of it.
Arriving in the Scottish Highlands with others from her school, the damp, driech weather is exactly how she feels. Kenzie instantly wishes she was back home in her bedroom reading her book rather than out here in the wilderness with the likes of know-it-all Sorley Mackay.
Separated into their groups, they meet their designated guides and head off into the hills. No phones, no adults (apart from Bairdy their guide) and no homework. It was meant to be fun but Kenzie, Rupert, Sorley and Mariam soon find out that this school trip is unlike anything they have experienced before.
Around the campfire they hear stories of The Grey Man. A huge being that wanders the hills at night. Bairdy is distracted by something Kenzie can’t see but they set up camp and try to sleep. Drookit, Bairdy’s dog, wakes them early, he is covered in blood and their trusted guide is nowhere to be seen!
Kenzie and her group reel from the fact that they’re alone. Far from rescue, no way of connecting with anyone, they try to locate Bairdy, find a way back down the mountain and away from things that go bump in the night. As time passes, revelations from each of them change their perspective not only on the great outdoors but also themselves. Their own circumstances come to the fore as they slowly open up to each other and embrace unlikely friendships amid their adventure.
What lies in store for them? Will they ever get off the mountain before another unwanted night under the stars? Most of all, where is Bairdy?
Barbara Henderson is an incredible children’s writer. Her immersive stories pull the reader in, at one with her descriptions and settings, her characters coming to life with every chapter devoured.
I Don’t Do Mountains is a realistic and heart-warming story of friendship, school life and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Peril, angst and humour are in abundance and Victoria Di Meo’s wonderful illustrations and designs by Gino Di Meo Studio are fantastic throughout.
A brilliant read for those taking their first steps on the hills to experienced climbers alike.
Illustrated by Victoria Di Meo
Published by the Scottish Mountaineering Press
