A heart-stopping adventure story set in the Cairngorms, from children’s author, Barbara Henderson. Age range: 8–12 years.

Adventures are good things for people in books. But I am not a person in a book. I am Kenzie. I like to READ about adventures, not actually have them. A hillwalking expedition? With a group of strangers AND Sorley Mackay, the most annoying boy in the universe?

Bookworm Kenzie can’t believe her bad luck when her teacher announces plans for a three-day hillwalking expedition into the Cairngorms. She tries everything to get out of the trip, but soon the group heads to the hills with mountain leader Bairdy and set up camp for the night.

Bairdy’s stories of ancient magic fill Kenzie’s mind, but in the cold light of morning, they discover that the mountain leader has vanished, his tent left untouched. They are alone.

I Don’t Do Mountains is an adventure story first and foremost, but in Barbara’s vivid first-person narrative, readers can travel to the windy peaks of Scotland’s wilderness, and survive, even thrive, like Kenzie and her friends.

Paperback, 168 pages

Published March 2025