Nightmare Mountain

by Peg Kehret

As soon as Molly arrives at her aunt and uncle's ranch in rural Washington, things start to go very wrong. Her cousin hates her on sight. Her aunt falls into a mysterious coma. Then, left alone on the huge property, Molly and her cousin discover an intruder lurking in the barn! Armed and desperate, he drags them to the top of a nearby mountain--and triggers an avalanche with a gunshot. Can they make it down the mountain alive?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Peg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.

When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.

A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."

Reviews

[Morgan Lanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is probably one of my favorites. I really recommend it for others to read. It is full of action and there is something happening at every corner. This book really made me want to read more of it. I could really see what was happening as I read it.

[Kaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like any book by Peg Kehret. It's a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat entire time. It's about a girl named Molly who goes to visit her uncle and aunt and cousin in Washington. She is used to living in nice sunny LA. She goes to visit and right away her cousin Glendon hates her. After Molly accidentally breaks his model ship. Then that night her aunt Karen went into a mysterious coma. They thought that the food might have been poisoned. Molly went to open the gate that was mysteriously open a white truck came down the path and almost ran her over. There lamb (cause they have a farm of lambs) Merrylegs got stolen and when Molly went to check for her a heavy hay pale. She was alright and the sheriff thought it was just a coincidence .Then as she was walking up the mountains she spotted a man. She ran down to get Glendon the man practically kidnapped them so they can help him kidnap more lambs. Just as Glendon tried to run away an avalanche happened. They both got barred but Molly dug out. She went back to try to get help but the line was full to the police was full. She decided to just try to get him by herself she goes back up with the dog Buckie. They went up the mounting and dug till they found him. She covered him up in the blankets that she brought. She laid up there all night with him until he woke up because he was unconscious. When he finally woke up Molly was going to go back down to call again. When she reached the door the man came back for more lambs. She was four end to help him. She was thinking of ways to stall so she thought she could go back up to get Buckie and tell Glendon what's happening. She went back down with Buckie. She found out that it was his uncle Craine. He was mad that he got caught stealing money from Phil. Phil didn't report him but the hardware stores did he got arrested. So she went back down with Buckie but they were not noticed cause Craine was to busy trying to catch another Lima that spit cud at him. He gave up on that Lima. Molly and Buckie went to the back of the barn to hide from him. He gave up and drove off but before he did that he went behind the house to do something. She found out that he cut the line to the phone so she couldn't call. She grabbed a banana and went back up to find Glendon pasted put. She woke him up and had to drag him to the house. They finally got to the house and Glendon couldn't move. They closed there eyes for 2 minutes and they heard series and the black truck. They knew it was Craine cause he has a black truck. He came in the house and took Glendon by the neck and said he would shot him. Then Molly tree a mug and Buckie attacked him but Buckie got shot by accident. At the end it turns out that the cookies where what caused Aunt Karen to go to the hospital and everything was okay. Quote "someone is trying to kill me."

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Newman is spending her vacation with her Aunt Karen on her llama ranch. Karen has a new husband and Molly has been looking forward to meeting him and his son. She gets along real well with Phil, her new uncle. Glendon, his son, makes it very clear that he doesn’t like Molly. Molly’s Aunt Karen gets sick. Phil has to stay with Karen at the hospital and leave Molly and his son at the ranch alone. While left alone Molly and Glendon realizes someone is stealing the llamas. The two kids come face to face with the dangerous thief who takes them to the top of a mountain and leaves them. This book kept me hanging on to the edge of my seat. Great suspense all the way through. It has kids the age of those I teach and therefore it is a book they may be able to relate to in many ways. The book was on my chalk tray for less than 15 minutes after I finished it before one of the students snatched it up.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to the kids and we were all entertained. The llama's, the smart dog and the huge chip on her shoulder all made the story more interesting. It was a bit scary near the end and the kids wanted me to keep reading every time I closed the book until tomorrow.
We all attended an author visit at the library from Peg Kehret and that is how we got this book. I've enjoyed all the books I've read by her. She was interesting and really seemed to get the kids evolved with her discussion on writing and reading. It inspired me and I started to look at everyday happenings a bit more closely.

[Lj bunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts out with Molly Newman extremely excited to visit her aunt and uncle on there ranch in Washington she is also looking forward to seeing her cozen. As soon as she gets there everything goes terribly wrong her cozen hates her and her aunt gets sick so the children are left alone on the ranch. After being left alone on the ranch they find an intruder hiding in the barn. Just when you think things cant get any worse he drags them to the top of a nearby mountain. In the end they are found they recover and are now safe.
I thought it was definitely a 7th or 8th grade book because of the situations in the book. It was definitely very exciting to read.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of mystery and suspense. Molly the main character goes to visit her aunt and uncle who live on a llama farm and after her arrival a llama is stolen. She and her cousin Glendon pursue the thief and through this the thief then decides to come after them. Glendon and Molly are fighting for their lives throughout the book and trying to solve the mystery all at the same time. This would be a great chapter book to read to the class and introduce mystery and new vocabulary for third through fifth graders.

[Tiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11 year old sister thinks this book was a great mystery. It was about her mother who went somewhere for something and had to stay with her uncle... but worst comes to worst as her cousin didn't like her. The story takes place high in the mountains where its would be hard to hear a blood curdling scream of terror. Luckily, Molly has the smarts to keep herself alive when disaster strikes. I leave it from there to find out the rest. Definitely a recommendation for not only teens but also tweens.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret is an amazing adventure book for children. This is once again another amazing book by the author Peg Kehret who wrote other books as well as Ghost's Grave Yard and Escaping The Giant Wave. This book has an amazing beginning and ending in my opinion. The book as well is kind of mysterious just because something happens to one of the main characters and you do not know what will happens next. Like always these like these always have me at the edge of my seat just wanting to read more.

[Mara N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great. It keeps you guessing until the very end. I like how Molly was will to risk her life to save Glendons. She conqured her terrible fear of heights and helped save the llama farm. I am glad that her aunt karren is okay and that it was only a allergic reaction that put her in the hospital. I would have tried to do the same thing that molly did but I dont know if i could be that brave.

[Joan Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nightmare Mountain" is my favorite Peg Kehret novel. In it, Molly goes to stay with her aunt and cousin Glendon whom she's never met before. Her aunt falls into a mysterious coma, and her cousin seems to hate her for no reason. Molly soon encounters an intruder on her aunt's farm, and a deathly avalanche!
Read it in fourth grade, and again in sixth. Great adventure book.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my son's teachers recommended this author a few years ago and my 10 year old has read all of her books. I thought I'd give a few of them a try. The plot was suspenseful and moved along quickly, but it was just okay for me. I can understand why kids enjoy her books though; they are exciting.

[McCaid Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun little thriller! This is my seventh book I've read by Peg Kehret, and I'm always intrigued by the intensity of each of her books. This one especially!
It was interesting to see how the kids got out of the situation they were in and how they escaped from their captor.
A fun, intense read!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this one up on a recommendation from a fifth grader. I'm surprised she liked it! I guess you don't notice how dated a book is if you didn't live through the time of its setting. This is a good pick for a lower reader looking for suspense. Suspense and llamas.

[Mrs. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again action, suspense and drama drive this book. We have family drama and conflict, an avalanche and the criminal element in this book. Some content to me seems unbelievable but to most elementary readers I think they might read right though that part and excitement builds.

[Ashley McCubbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned you can be strong no matter what anyone says or does.

[Sarahjeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting mystery. As a child i couldn't put it down.

[Savanna T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book! The first few pages make you want to keep reading!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the best book that i have read by Peg Kehret!!!

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best book i have ever read it is scary to.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned that coming for revenge is not a very good choice.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in third or fourth grade. I remember being scared and surprised by the ending. It has stuck with me all these years. I'd like to re-read it someday.

[Joseph (Mojo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like so awsome. But the climax was the bomb!! I would suggest this book to people who love action!!

[Quinn Yerk]

Zzzxx

[Ethan Mcphillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book a lot .

[Shayna W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure!!

[Nizhoni Salt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book...the reason why i liked this book because it wasn't cheesy like the other books i read...knowing whats going to happen next..it gave me guess about the book...

[Cathy Hendren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly has to stay with her aunt on a llama ranch will her mother is in Japan. Things get out of hand when she thinks someone is trying to kill her. A fast read and enjoyable.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost want to give this four stars, as I was so surprised by how much I liked it. But really, it is a junior version of a mass-market/ bestseller thriller. Molly is just a bit too smart & level-headed & brave to be believable, and all the interpersonal conflict comes together just as smoothly as the mystery gets solved.

But it only took me a little over an hour to read, and was a worthy read for, for example, a youngster who is either reluctant to read or reads everything they can get their hands on. Recommended if you're interested.

Oh, also recommended if you're interested in alpaca ranching.

[Bri S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightmare Mountain was just as fun to read aloud to my kids as it was to have it read aloud to me when I was in 4th grade. The consensus from the family is that It’s thrilling, suspenseful, and action-packed. It definitely kept us turning the pages to find out what happens next. I highly recommend this as a read-aloud book. I think it would really engage even reluctant readers. There are great opportunities for kids to think about and discuss what they would do if faced with some of the survival-based scenarios, which is a lot of fun!

[Coco Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great kids book full of adventure and survival. It was my 5th graders favorite book they read in school so we read it as a family and enjoyed it. Molly goes to visit her aunt and gets caught up in a robbery, poisoning, and an avalanche! Each chapter ends with a good hook and it is all wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end.