• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Edge of Flight is the toughest rock-climbing route Vanisha has ever faced. She has one last chance to conquer it before she moves to Vermont to start university.

University is a sore point for Vanisha, who yearns for a career in the outdoors but feels pressured by her mother to earn an academic degree. Trying to put school out of her mind, she heads to the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with her buddies Rusty and Jeb for a final weekend of climbing and camping. Deep in the woods, they stumble on an illegal marijuana plantation, and the gang of bikers who guard it. When Jeb is shot by the bikers, Vanisha alone must get help—and to do so, she must climb Edge of Flight. As she confronts her insecurities on the cliff face and in the woods, Vanisha gains a new resolve and the self-confidence to choose her own path in life.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Kate Jaimet is an author and journalist who recently began a freelance career after many years as a daily newspaper reporter for the Ottawa Citizen. Her first book in the Orca Sports series, Slam Dunk, was selected by the Junior Library Guild and the Canadian Children's Book Centre as a Best Book for Kids & Teens. Kate learned to rock climb in Germany, and now has a bouldering wall in her basement in Ottawa, Ontario. More information is available at http://www.katejaimet.com.

Kate Jaimet's profile page

• Commended, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Quick Picks
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

"A well-written, fast paced adventure...Jaimet creates a sense of tension that she continues to ratchet up throughout the novel. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Filling the pages with action and suspense, Jaimet keeps readers glued until the final daring rescue is made."

Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News

"The story moves quickly and the action is tense and exciting, particularly for readers who know something about rock climbing outdoors...The setting and the narrator's personal insights add depth and relevance...It's refreshing to see a young woman at the centre of a book about climbing. Vanisha is an independent thinker and a great problem solver, but she also values friendship, trust, and team work—a strong role model for girls and a character that boys can respect and perhaps even identify with...A fast-paced adventure story."

Resource Links