The Kite Rider

When 12-year-old Haoyou's beloved father is killed, he must protect his little family from greedy relatives and from Di Chou, the ship's filthy, loutish first mate who caused his father's death. Haoyou manages, with the help of Mipeng, his cousin, to shanghai Di Chou. Before he returns, they run away with the Jade Circus, where Haoyou becomes a kite rider, soaring among the clouds, finding an affinity with the sky spirits. Below, Mipeng pretends to interpret "spirit messages" from the sky, and Chinese history unfolds like a paper fan. Eventually, Haoyou meets Kublai Khan and is conscripted into the Mongol army. Cynthia Bishop narrates the Full Cast audio production, as thrills, near-death experiences, and meticulous historical detail of thirteenth-century Chinese culture make this considerably more than a YA novel. S.J.H. 2005 YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

November 24, 2003
Set in 13th-century China, this novel begins with a 12-year-old boy who witnesses his father's death, then follows him on a journey that takes him to Kublai Khan's court. "With her exuberant, nonstop plotting and supremely colorful setting, the author grabs hold of readers' imaginations and doesn't let go," PW
said. Ages 12-up.