Everest With A.J.

'The pilot barely saw them, just a flash of fur, a hint of creatures fast moving and feral. Two thuds came in quick succession. The plane veered violently to the left. The front wheel strut collapsed. Screams from the cabin. The port-side propeller hit the tarmac, shattering instantly in a carbon-fibre cloudburst.' Kian is on a journey. A journey he's not sure he wants to make, deep into the Himalaya, tagging along on his dad's expedition to test a new system for predicting earthquakes. He's far from his friends and the world he knows and loves. Far from his mum who is about to give birth to a baby with her new partner. Then comes the crash and everything changes. Kian saves the life of an injured dog. He calls the stray A.J. and a bond is formed. A bond of trust, a bond of friendship. A bond which will be put to the ultimate test by the destructive powers of nature. Kian and his new friend reach Base Camp but the welcome is as icy as the slopes of Everest. Kian's dad wants him to get rid of the dog. Can Kian and his dad resolve their differences before it is too late? What about the spooky way that A.J. seems to be able to predict earthquakes? Tension is building, deep beneath the ground. Kian and his father are in far more danger than they realise What can A.J. sense? And is anyone ready to listen? AGES: 6 to 9 AUTHOR: Matt Dickinson asked for a pair of mountain boots for his tenth birthday and since that point he has never looked back! As an award-winning film-maker and writer he has lived a life of adventure, working extensively for National Geographic TV, Discovery Channel and the BBC. During his action-packed career he has filmed on Everest's summit, in Antarctica, Greenland, Alaska, the Sahara Desert and on top of the highest live volcano in the world. The Death Zone, his account of the ascent of Everest's North Face, has become a bestseller in multiple territories around the world and is regarded as essential reading for all those who love mountain literature. It is also used as a selected text for the AQA English GCSE syllabus. Recently Matt has been busy writing books to inspire a whole new generation of explorers. His teen/YA action series Mortal Chaos was well received and was followed by his Carnegie Medal nominated trilogy The Everest Files and the multi-award-winning thriller Lie Kill Walk Away. And his brand-new comedy series for primary age readers, Popcorn-Eating Squirrels, has been launched to an enthusiastic response! Matt has been back to Everest three times in recent years and he lectures widely at schools. If you have a chance to see one of Matt's events you will be in for a breathtaking audiovisual tour of discovery to lands of ice and fire. Avalanches, killer icebergs and volcanoes guaranteed!