false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181486697m/1158123.jpg 1158123 15 <i>Up and up the wind drew him.<br>Haoyou looked about him and saw the whole<br>world beneath him. And it was his. He could<br>breathe! Today Haoyou was a kite, a<br>windhover riding on spread wings.</i><p>The great Miao master of the Jade Circus, offers twelve-year-old Haoyou the amazing chance to change his life -- to escape from his family's poverty and the pain of his father's recent death -- by becoming a kite rider!</p><p>Strapped onto a beautiful scarlet -- and-gold kite, Haoyou is sent into the sky to soar perilously among the clouds and entertain the awestruck crowds below. Traveling the Empire as part of the Jade Circus, Haoyou earns freedom, money, and unexpected fame -- as he skillfully performs for local villagers who believe he can bring back messages from lost loved ones whose spirits haunt the sky. Miao even plans for Haoyou to perform before the Mongol conqueror Kublai Khan himself!</p><p>But what about the duties that bind Haoyou to the ground -- his duties to his family, especially to his widowed mother? And is the Great Miao all that he seems, or could he be using Haoyou in a treacherous plot?</p><p>From incredibly versatile Carnegie Medalist Geraldine McCaughrean, author of <i>The Stones Are Hatching,</i> comes this dazzling story of adventure, betrayal, family, and sacrifice set in the dramatic, dangerous world of thirteenth-century China.</p> 2063797 2001 The Kite Rider total:161|5:30|4:55|3:48|2:22|1:6| 161 564 229 43 4 0 false false Thu Sep 03 15:30:43 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 03 15:30:59 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Nov 30 09:38:34 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 09:45:12 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 12 20:57:07 -0700 2009 Sun Nov 02 13:27:47 -0800 2008 Sun Apr 12 20:57:07 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false true Sun Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 21 07:24:48 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 21 08:05:01 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Thu Feb 28 12:47:00 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 28 12:48:06 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 23 23:36:17 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 23 23:40:49 -0800 2009
I liked the imagery of ancient China. The understanding of honor and customs cam e through well. This belief system was as integral to the plot as any of the events that happened so it was w...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 16 11:37:15 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 20:52:04 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 11:42:19 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 11:44:02 -0700 2009 White Darkness. This was really good. It's set in 13th century China right after the Mongol invasion. It follows the story of one boy who ends up flying on a kite in the air in an attempt to save his...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Mar 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 20:43:18 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 20:46:30 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu May 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 17:56:49 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 17:59:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Feb 15 19:11:47 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 15 19:11:47 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 19 16:47:08 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 19 16:48:19 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 13 04:24:04 -0700 2007 Fri Jun 15 05:39:55 -0700 2007
The writing style is clean, simple and lovely. ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 06 09:26:35 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 01 08:07:55 -0800 2008 1
I never realised that writers could end stories in such a way. This book expands your mind to new horizons. Each chapter brings you to a ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Aug 16 16:48:42 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 07:50:39 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Jul 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 19:16:53 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 07:13:09 -0700 2009
Next, he thinks of the idea to test the wind for a boat going out to sea.

That's where the adventure begins. This book is well written. Haoyou and Mipeng (his cousin) have many a...more...]]> 0 0 false false Thu Jun 11 22:17:31 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 22:17:31 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Feb 06 18:08:22 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 06 18:08:38 -0800 2009 3 2 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Jul 05 09:20:01 -0700 2007 Wed Jul 11 17:08:34 -0700 2007 The Kite Rider was disappointing. McCaughrean fails to create adequate suspense, and I found the characterization of the main character pretty mediocre. There is a wealth of historical detail about life in China, but the story simply doesn't have the strength to ...more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 17 10:40:23 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 06:21:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1158123