Binding: Audio CD EAN: 9781932076387 Format: Audiobook ISBN: 1932076387 Label: Full Cast Audio Manufacturer: Full Cast Audio Number Of Items: 6 Number Of Pages: 320 Publication Date: 2004-03-19 Publisher: Full Cast Audio Reading Level: Young Adult Studio: Full Cast Audio
A soaring story that will sweep listeners from the docks of China to the court of Kublai Khan as young Haoyou learns to ride the winds strapped to a great scarlet kite in the traveling circus of the Great Miao.But other winds swirl about Haoyou, winds of revenge and deceit and greed. And no matter how high he flies, there is always greedy Uncle Bo, holding him like an anchor, waiting to drag him down.A breathtaking historical novel from two time Whitbread Prize winner Geraldine McCaughrean.
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: teacher Comment: I was trying to find a book that would interest both boys and girls. The Kite Rider fit the bill. The story is emotional and exciting. The decriptions in the book can help students make a picture of the story. It has just enough history and culture that teachers can suppliment their lessons with the book. My students like the book better than reading the text book. Customer Rating: Summary: The Kite Rider Comment: This story is about a 12 year old boy named Haoyou and his relatives who live in China in the 13th century.After the death of of his father occurs Haoyou's mother and sister find themselves at the mercy of his uncle.Haoyou's uncle really only cares about gambling more than his family. Soon Haoyou's mother has no other choice than to marry his uncle. Later on Haoyou and his cousin Mipeng join the circus Haoyou sets his job as a kite rider. During his career as a kite rider Haoyou's attitude begins to change questioning beliefs. Haoyou's life is about to change as he performs in front of Kublai Khan. He didn't know this would be his last performance.Haoyou was later beaten up by a mongolian boy. Hoayou had been left alone until returnig home to his mother.
By:JT Lanier
Ms.D Customer Rating: Summary: the kite rider review by carlos Comment: the kite rider
By: Geraldine McCaughrean
This story takes place in 13th century cathy(china). In east china. The story starts like this. There's a kid named Haoyou and his father pei.they went fishing on a boat called the chabi. On the trip they saw the jade circus come in to town. The first mate wanted to marry pei`s wife. So he stabbed him to get his wife. haoyou didn't do nothing , but watch. So first mate, Di Chou , was going to marry Qing'an .haoyou didn't him to marry his mom. So Di Chou got drunk on the night before the wedding. Haoyou took advantage of that and put him on a fishing boat. He was still drunk. He left for a long time. Haoyou saw his father in the clouds. His father told him to be a kite maker. So he became a kite maker. He made all kinds of kites. Then finally he sold them .He wanted to talk to his father again . So he rode the kite! Haoyou was close to the circus. He got up high. He fell down and dislocated his shoulder and the circus master , mio, fixed his shoulder. He also got knocked out. Mio was inpessed whith him and asked him to join the circus . he said yes he could send the money to his family. But his mom did not know! So the great uncle bo went looking for him. He found him in the circus. The great emperor khan was at the circus and saw haoyou flying. He was impressed. So khan and khan were talking and khan asked him to make fighting kites. He agreed. So he made two fighting kites. He was going to fly with his kite(the red one) and was going to fight chiggis (the blue kite). So they were fighting in the air. All he could do was back off after he swung his hatchet. He dropped it after a long time of sweating. It was china vs. Mongolia. The army down on the ground was fighting each other. No one hade control over the ropes. Chiggis rope got stuck in a tree and he fell down and died. Haoyou fell too, but landed on a cart of grass. He didn't want to tuch thec ground or he would had lost the bet his uncle made. He eventually got off and lost the bet. The mongals were going to kill him. Mipeng(a cousin) told khan you don`t have all seeing eyes. You are not all powerful. Khan said fine he lives , but he must be my eyes and in my army. His army had to go to a city, and Haoyou was going to drop a bomb on the village, but decided not to. He thought of him self as a sky demon. He returned to his home town after he crashed due to the storm in the area.He returned only to find that his mother worked at a beer house. He went over there and took her from there and live in the first mate's house. When leaving the beer house he stole money. In the morning the first mate had arrived and was going to kill him. He made a bet for his life. He lost the first time made an other bet and lost it again. He did this one other time. He lost. So when going to give him the money and other things he lost the first mate was caught with the money Haoyou stole, and went to jail. The family never found out and they lived happily ever after.
Customer Rating: Summary: a book i never expected to read Comment: The Kite Rider, by Geraldine McCraughrean is a great book in many ways. It was exciting, interesting, funny, and it's different. This book really made me think about things I never would have thought of. If you want to know more about this book, please keep reading.
Character(s):
The main character in this book is a boy named Haoyou. Haoyou is about 12 - 15 years old. He is beginning to take upon responsibility. Haoyou is also very brave. If you don't believe me, well you're wrong... unless you consider a boy riding a giant kite, soaring above the clouds, and risking life and limb every day just to entertain people, not brave. Sound like I'm crazy? Sorry, you will understand soon.
Setting:
The setting is mainly in the small town of Dagu, China were Haoyou and his family live. The town is at the mouth of the Hai River, and just off the coast of the Yellow Sea. Dagu is an industrial town, and is visited daily by many trade boats. The setting also includes many towns and villages along the Hai River.
Summary:
In the book Haoyou is faced with many problems. First his father is killed when he is strapped to a giant kite and is thrown into the air riding the wind. This process is called the Testing of the Wind. The Testing of the Wind is when a ship's crew tests the omens to see if a ship's voyage will be successful. The wind tester is just someone strapped to a kite and launched thousands of feet into the air. If the kite doesn't fly or crashes the voyage can't disembark. If the kite flies with no problems the ship can sail.
Other problems occur when Di Chou, the man who was responsible for Haoyou's father to be killed on his flight above the clouds, tried to marry Haoyou's mother. But he is outsmarted by Haoyou on the eve that Haoyou's mother was to marry Di Chou. Haoyou got Di Chou very drunk, then enlisted him to a ship as a hand. The captain agreed to hire Di Chou but only if Haoyou rode the very kite that had killed his father. Da da daaaaa!!!
Haoyou's flight went perfectly, and besides the fact that now the boat would sail away, his ride landed Haoyou a job. A job in the Jade Circus, whose ring master happened to be watching the flight. The job leads Haoyou hundreds of miles, performing for towns and villages along the Hai River. Haoyou even got the opportunity to perform before the mighty Kublai Khan. Unfortunately, his flying gave the Khan an idea of war techniques involving Haoyou who was then forcibly enlisted into the army. But not for long. On his first flight the Mongols didn't understand the concept of "when it rainy there gunna be no flyeey." Haoyou was considered dead when he crashed into a river, but he lived through the event and eventually made it back home.
Plot:
This story is about a boy that is trying to help his family get by after the death of his father. He gets a job in the circus riding giant kites thousands of feet in the air, the exact thing that killed his father. While at first he flies to make money, his flights become more of a spiritual experience when he begins to see and feel his father when he is flying. Even when he breaks his arm and loses sight in his right eye, Haoyou flies, for his family, father, the joy, the thrill, and just to fly.
Recommendations:
To anyone who enjoys books that make sense in the weirdest ways you should read this book. If you stick to the same types of genre like fiction, I recommend this book. But if you get crazy ideas like riding massive kites thousands of feet in the air... definitely, don't read this book! You don't need the inspiration.
luv-
Gabe
Customer Rating: Summary: The Kite rider Comment: This book takes us back into the 13th century in China with the point of view from a boy named Hoayuo. After waching his beloved father, Pie, die. Hoayou's life is filled with misery, but more trouble comes when a Di Chou, the person who killed Hoayuo's father by making him test the wind for a long journey, shows up and gets proposed to Hoayou's lonely and widowed mother. Afterwards Hoayuo gets engaged with kites and starts making some for money for his family. Hoayuo is then noticed by the noble Maio Jeand his circus. Maio invites Hoayuo to be his circuses kite rider. Then the evil, Kublai Khan strikes and gets trouble in Hoayuo's journey.
This book is absalutely great for time passing and entertaining. You really get the images and pictures in your mind once you start reading this book. So take a look at this book, and start reading it, because you will want to read the story.
