THE KITE RIDER
Geraldine McCaughrean
HarperTrophy
Fiction
ISBN: 0064410919
320 pages

• Read an Excerpt

Twelve-year-old Haoyou's father, like many of the men in his small coastal Chinese town, is a sailor. When Haoyou's father is suddenly chosen to be a wind tester --- to be strapped to a huge kite and flown high in the sky to test for favorable sailing winds --- Haoyou suspects that the ship's evil first mate, Di Chou, has maliciously selected his father for the dangerous job. Sure enough, on his very first trip aloft, Haoyou's father dies and the sinister Di Chou moves in on Haoyou's beautiful mother, asking her to marry him.

Wanting to prevent the wedding, Haoyou and his cousin Mipeng concoct a plot that involves Haoyou himself being strapped to a kite before an outgoing voyage. Much to his surprise, Haoyou enjoys the exhilaration of being up in the sky, especially since it gives him the opportunity to search for his father's spirit lost among the clouds.

The Great Miao, leader of the Jade Circus, is so impressed by Haoyou's kite riding that he offers the boy a job as the feature act in the touring circus. Haoyou finds himself living with a colorful crew of circus folk, traveling to the small towns and big cities of China and even performing for the great Kublai Khan, the Mongol leader. He must stay one step ahead of his money-grabbing uncle Bo and uncover the real reason that Miao seeks an audience with Kublai Khan.

Haoyou's story is a fast-paced, exhilarating adventure in its own right, much like his breathtaking kite flights. The historical background provides another layer of richness, though, as the story sheds light on thirteenth-century Chinese history and politics while also illuminating the colorful opulence of the Mongol empire. In addition, the novel's themes of obedience and respect for one's ancestors illuminate traditional Chinese cultural values. Complete with greed, murder, revenge and trickery, THE KITE RIDER is a classic adventure tale wrapped in an exotic and colorful setting.

   --- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

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