The Kite Fighters is a 2000 historical children's novel that was written by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by her father Eung Won Park.[1] It was first published on March 20, 2000, through Clarion Books and follows two brothers in Korea during the 15th century.[2]
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Linda Sue Park |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Eung Won Park |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Published | 2000, Clarion Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, ebook, audiobook |
| Pages | 144 pages |
| ISBN | 0395940419 |
Plot
editSet in Seoul, Korea, in 1473, the novel depicts the relationship of two brothers in a tradition-bound family. Lee Young-sup is acutely aware of the difference in his status being a younger brother, but he finds a true talent the first time he flies a kite. First-born son Kee-sup is under pressure from his father, a rice merchant, to advance the family honor by becoming a court official; he spends much of his time studying for the position, though it is not his true life goal. Young-sup's growing expertise in flying kites and Kee-sup's craft in making them draw the attention of the boy-king of Korea, modeled after King Songjong, and they become friends with the king outside of the ancient protocol and secretly represent him for them kite-fighting competition during the New Year's festival. It is the tension between traditional duties and individual needs.
Reception
editCritical reception has been positive.[3][4] January Magazine praised The Kite Fighters for "[painting] a realistic picture of coming of age in Korea in 1473" and "[relaying] a timeless, compelling story that easily translates to our own age".[5] Kirkus Reviews also gave the book a positive rating, as they appreciated the book's resolution came out of the hard work of several people as opposed to it being a "foregone conclusion".[6]
References
edit- ^ McElmeel, Sharron L. (2004). Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss: Biographical Sketches. Libraries Unlimited. p. 265. ISBN 1591580277. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ "The Kite Fighters (Book Review)". Reading Teacher. 55 (3): 247. November 2001. Archived from the original on 2014-06-01. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Vidor, Constance (2009). "Children's Book Review: The Kite Fighters". International Journal of Multicultural Education. 11 (2): 3. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ "The Kite Fighter (review)". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Remick, Lynne. "The Kite Fighters (review)". January Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ "The Kite Fighters (review)". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
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