''The Kite Rider'' is a children's novel by

Geraldine McCaughrean Geraldine McCaughrean ( ; born 6 June 1951) is a British children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including ''Peter Pan in Scarlet'' (2004), the official sequel to ''Peter Pan'' commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital, t ...

Plot

The story, set in 13th-century

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, concerns a boy named Gou Haoyou. His father Gou Pei, a seaman, is forced to fly on a wind-testing kite by

first mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

Di Chou. Gou Pei is killed, and Great-uncle Bo, the head of the Gou family, arranges for Pei's beautiful widow, Qing'an, to marry Di Chou. Haoyou and his cousin, Mipeng, get rid of Di Chou and in the process Haoyou flies on a wind testing kite. Miao Jie, who runs the Jade Circus, notices Haoyou's impressive feat, and offers him and Mipeng a position in the circus as a kite rider and Medium respectively. Haoyou and Mipeng join the circus, and begin traveling to perform for money for their family.

Characters

*Haoyou: very obedient, trustworthy, a good son. *Mipeng: very smart, cousin of Haoyou *Qing'an: beautiful, Haoyou's mother *Pei: Haoyou's father, killed by Di Chou. *Bo: Haoyou's uncle and leader of the Gou family. *Mo: Haoyou's aunt. *Miao: Head of The Jade Circus. *Di Chou: Alcoholic, mean, wants to marry Haoyou's mother.

References

Novels set in China British young adult novels 2001 British novels Oxford University Press books Children's books about kite flying {{2000s-ya-novel-stub