Banner in the Sky

I thought that this Newbery honor book was going to be just another boy's historical adventure, and that I'd get fed up with it and choose to DNF. I was wrong.

It is an adventure. It is about a world which was not relevant to women. But it's about a 16 yo boy who, through the course of the book, becomes a man. And it's cleanly, crisply written, easy enough to read that I stayed up way past my bedtime and finished it.

What's most interesting about it is all the lying and other moral quandaries and ambiguities. Not only does the boy have trouble *doing* the right thing, but *all* the people have trouble *knowing* the right thing. There are questions not only of courage, but of honor, loyalty, identity, brotherhood. Small-scale politics and show more economics even play a role.

And yet it's still a very readable adventure.

Highly recommended to reluctant readers. Teen males, of course. but also girls and adults who want more insight into the minds of those who feel the compulsion to prove themselves against a potentially deadly challenge. show less

It stands unconquered, the last great summit of the Alps. Only one man has ever dared to approach the top, and that man died in his pursuit. He was Josef Matt, Rudi Matt's father.

At sixteen, Rudi is determined to pay tribute to the man he never knew, and complete the quest that claimed his father's life. And so, taking his father's red shirt as a flag, he heads off to face the earth's most challenging peak. But before Rudi can reach the top, he must pass through the forbidden Fortress, the gaping chasm in the high reaches of the Citadel where his father met his end. Rudi has followed Josef's footsteps as far as they will take him. Now he must search deep within himself to find the strength for the final ascent to the summit - to plant show more his banner in the sky. show less

It stands unconquered, the last great summit of the Alps. Only one man has ever dared to approach the top, and that man died in his pursuit. He was Josef Matt, Rudi Matt's father.

At sixteen, Rudi is determined to pay tribute to the man he never knew, and complete the quest that claimed his father's life. And so, taking his father's red shirt as a flag, he heads off to face the earth's most challenging peak. But before Rudi can reach the top, he must pass through the forbidden Fortress, the gaping chasm in the high reaches of the Citadel where his father met his end. Rudi has followed Josef's footsteps as far as they will take him. Now he must search deep within himself to find the strength for the final ascent to the summit - to plant show more his banner in the sky. show less

This is my all-time FAVORITE novel ever, even though it's more MG than YA and I mainly read YA. It has every element a winner could want, between tension characters you really care about, and inspiration and satisfying ending. I've read it more times than I can count and it holds a place of honor on my bookshelf.

This is a fantastic Newbery book about a teenager who wants to climb the mountain his father died attempting to climb. Like many Newbery books, it is apparently given to children too soon (judging by the kid reviews on Amazon). This one will be appreciated by younger audience to some extent, but they won't like the ending too much. Nevertheless, it has enough action and conflict to appeal to boys who may not read a lot of fiction; as well the thematic and character development one would expect from a Newbery honor book.

This is an inspirational adventure story and the basis for the film, Third Man on the Mountain. Rudi Matt has a dream - A dream to touch the sky.” Without the support of his family, and only determination, sixteen year old Rudi Matt wanted to climb the only unconquered peak in the Swiss Alps called the Citadel. This was also his father’s dream; but his father, Josef Matt, died while climbing the Citadel. Because of this both his mother and uncle forbid him to climb the mountain because they thought they would lose him like his father. Rudi has strong determination to make his dream come true. He sets an inspiring example to other children to follow their dream. For example, in Chapter 6 - ‘Master and Pupil’, Rudi undergoes tough show more training to make him capable to climb mountains. This shows that he is determined and anxious to climb the Citadel. The plot contains surprises which made it more interesting when, as a young reader, I first read this exciting story. The result is a riveting tale that keeps you on edge until the climax. Read it and find out. show less

This book gets better every year I read it. I love the mountains and this coming of age book captures the grandeur and danger of the big mountains. Since it is set in the mid nineteenth century you can also relate to the day to day challenges they face without all the interference of modern technology.