The Kite Fighters

by Linda Sue Park

Book Overview

It's like the kite is part of him--the part that wants to fly.In a riveting novel set in fifteenth-century Korea, two brothers discover a shared passion for kites. Kee-sup can craft a kite unequaled... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440418135
• ISBN13: 9780440418139
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Yearling Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A childrens review

The main characters are Young-sup and Kee-sup.Young-sup and Kee-sup are two brothers who live in ancient Korea. This book takes place in Korea in 1473.The main idea of this book is a festival where you fight kites. I think this book would be good for a fourth and fifth grader. I found this book interesting. I would rate this book five stars. What I like about this book is the formula they use on their kite string to help cut other kites.

Anagha's Book Review

The Kite Fighters, by Linda Sue Park, is a wonderful book. Linda has written this story really well. She really takes you into the story, and makes you feel like you are there. When one of the characters accidentally broke a pot, I felt like I could hear the sound of the pot breaking. Her way of writing is very interesting. She only uses a few words to describe what is happening in the story, but in those few words she tells you so much that you feel like you read a paragraph. Linda also uses many descriptive words. Here is a passage from the book that I think is very descriptive, "I was so angry that I felt like there was a thunderstorm in my head. There was nothing anyone could do to remove the flood of anger that was thundering in my head." This book is about a young boy, Young-Sup, who lives in Korea. He is a master at kite flying. He knows every thing there is to know about kites. He wants to fly in the kite competition. According to tradition, though, the oldest son always represents the family. That means hat Kee-Sup, his older brother, will fly instead of him. Young-Sup gets very angry. What will he do about it? Who will fly in the kite competition? Read this book to find out. This book is fantastic. It is one of the stories that you just can't put down until you are finished. OK, this is a great book, but if you are looking for lots of action, this is not the book for you. I still think it is the best. The main character is a lot like me. He sometimes feels that nobody likes him and I do to. What I really liked about the book is how the author describes the scenes. This book fits into the realistic fiction genre. It talks about a young boy who lives in Korea. Many of the facts are true. This book is for 9 year olds because the main character's feelings are like many 9 year olds feelings.

A Great Book

This book is about two brothers named Kee-sup and Young-sup who live in Korea. They both love to fly kites but only Young-sup can launch a kite successfully alone.Because Kee-sup is the oldest son,Young-sup is always in second place and he finds it unfair.One day when both brothers were at the hillside flying their kites,they met the king(who was only at their age) face to face and formed a special friendship together.The king wanted to join the kite-flying competition but he knew that everyone would let him win on purpose and so he asked Young-sup to represent him in the competition.But would Young-sup beat the rest and Kim Hee-nam who the champion for the past two years? Read and you will find out.

Historical Fiction at its Best

The Kite Fighters will fly you effortlessly back to the year 1473 and into the world of three young Korean boys. Two are brothers who each have talents with kites. The oldest is an artist and can craft the most beautiful kites. The younger boy is skilled at flying and technique in kite fighting. The third boy is the young King who longs to be like other boys, to run and play and fly a kite on a hill. Each scene is crafted carefully and progresses smoothly to the exciting finish, a competition of kite flying before the King. The author shares intimate looks into Korean history, culture, family life and traditions of that time. The time may be long ago and the place may be far away, but the emotions and excitement of the boys will still connect with readers of today. I really enjoyed this book. It inspires me to 1) read more by Linda Sue Park and 2) go fly a kite!

Delightful, suspenseful, educational look at another time

This is a story of two kids in Korea in 1471. One has anenormous gift for making kites. His little brother has an equallyenormous gift for flying them. As they navigate through the rules of the family and of Korean life, they grow, serve their emperor and learn much about their own family. This subject had minimal appeal for me, but I am much taken with the book, and feel kids in fourth and fifth grade in particular would enjoy reading it. It also might make a great teacher read-aloud.