I have been reading the book Kite Rider, by Geraldine McCaughrean. This book is about a boy and his journey with the Jade Circus in China under Kublai Khan's rule. In the beginning of this story we meet Haoyou, an average boy and his dad. His dad is a sailor and is about to leave port. His dad is chosen to be a wind tester; a wind tester is a person who goes up in a kite and is judges by a person believed to tell if the gods favor them. During this time China was very superstitious and would not sail if the kite did not fly straight. His father was killed do to some unknown reason in the air, but the kite flew straight so it was still considered good luck. Now Haoyou is forced to make a living and provide for his little sister and his mother.
My quote for this story is on page 165 and is "the great Mio was like a kite string taunt to breaking." I picked this quote for many reasons. One reason was that through out the book involving the great Mio I imagined him as a very calm person with a lot on his mind, and this sentence described it perfectly and related to the story. Another reason was that Haoyou was the one who said it and that gave us a hint about how Haoyou viewed the great Mio. My final reason is that it described how close the great Mio was to breaking and that would have been bad for everyone.
I think the author should have had a little bit more action in this book. That would have grabbed my attention and I would have enjoyed it a lot more. In the beginning, it started out with a bit of action, but then it dragged on a bit. She could have skipped a few parts and the end result would stay the same.
I rated this one a seven, because I enjoyed most of it, but not all of it. This rating fluctuated a bit throughout the whole book. At the beginning it was a six, in the middle it was a nine, and at the end it was a seven, so I chose that. It all depends on the reader though. I'm sure some readers loved this book and others hated it, and the majority like me was on the fence.
I liked how the author introduced Uncle Bo, because I am sure every one knows or can create an image of someone like that in his or her head. I think many people while reading the story wanted to punch Uncle Bo in the face, but feel like him some of the time. That really brought in some emotions or have people feel like Haoyou in their life.
I understood how important family was to Haoyou. He traveled the whole country trying to make a living for his family, risking his life. I can't imagine doing that. I love my family, but I don't know if I would do that.
Sincerely,
Sam F.
