2024 Summer Reading List: Rock Climbing Books for Kids

Every year we are excited to share our updated reading list that is perfect for the children in your life who love to climb, or for those children you want to help inspire to climb.

For Children Ages 0-6 years

ABCs of Climbing for Kids by Larry Daugherty

An illustrated alphabet book of climbing terms. This one could really go in any of our age categories.

Climb by Caroline Tuohey

A rhyming picture book that celebrates simple climbing adventures.

Rock Climbing for Babies by Purple Potato Books

This fabric book is handmade and perfect for new parents who want to share their love of climbing with their newest family member.

Squeak Goes Climbing in Yosemite National Park by D. Scott Borden

Follow the adventures of a mouse named Squeak who accidentally gets taken up El Capitan with a group of climbers.

For Children Ages 4-8 years

Cliff Hanger by Jean Craighead George

A mountain-climbing adventure and dog rescue story.

Curious about Rock Climbing by Krissy Eberth

This is an inquiry-based book filled with a lot of information about rock climbing.

How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi

A wonderful picture book about strength and perseverance written by one of the world's youngest and most accomplished climbers.

Tom and Katie’s Climbing Adventures by Olivier Roberge

Four illustrated stories showcase the climbing adventures of two friends. Also available in French.

For Children Ages 6 - 9 years

Climb On by Erin Harper

This is the story of Kaia, an avid indoor climber, who finally gets to climb outside with her family.

G.G.Rock Climbs by Marty Mokler Banks

An 8-year-old girl loves to climb indoors but isn't sure about the challenges of outdoor climbing.

Junko Tabei Masters the Mountains by Rebel Girls

A "nonathletic" girl becomes a mountaineer after a trip to the mountains.

Postcards from Buster: Buster Climbs the Walls by Marc Brown

Read about Buster's adventures in the Rocky Mountains where he learns all about rock climbing. This is a companion to the PBS television series, Arthur.

Rock Stars! True Stories of Extreme Rock Climbing Adventures by Steve Bramucci

This chapter book by National Geographic Kids details the life of real rock climbers.

The Extreme Team #5: Rock On by Matt Christopher

A boy who excels at extreme sports has to hide his fear of rock climbing when friends want to try out the climbing wall at the mall.

The Extreme Team #10: On The Edge by Matt Christopher

See what happens when young, novice climbers make poor choices.

For Children Ages 9 - 12

Defying Gravity! Rock Climbing by Christine Dugan

This Time for Kids® nonfiction chapter book intrigues readers about the world of rock climbing through informational text, detailed images, a glossary of terms and more.

Peak by Roland Smith

The adventure just begins when a 14-year-old boy (who is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper) moves to Thailand to live with his father who runs a climbing gym.

Rock Dogs by Steven Barwin

A fast-paced adventure story about boys from a climbing team whose camping trip turns dangerous.

The Edge by Roland Smith

In the sequel to Peak, a boy and his mother are helicoptered to a remote base camp in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where the mother is kidnapped.

Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman

This Newberry Honor Award Winner follow's a son's attempt to summit the last of the Alps to honor his father who died during his attempt.

The Impossible Climb by Mark Synnott

This middle grade adaptation chronicles Alex Honnold’s free-solo climb of El Capitan.