A humane tale of childhood friendships, painful severance and soaring, joyful redemption Kumar and Raman are champion kite flyers, and Lakshmi makes superb barfis. The friends live and play together in the idyllic environs on the shores of the Kaveri river, learning about life from the friendly peanut seller. Till a small mistake shatters their idyllic childhood and alters the course of their lives. The story follows the three friends through the Tamil Nadu of the 1970s, with its politics and society on the boil thanks to the language agitation orchestrated by the ADMK and its charismatic leader MGR, and brings alive the era while addressing universal issues of politics, caste and gender.

The family from Dim Sum for Everyone! is back for a new outing– building and flying their own kite! The wind is blowing. It is a good day for kites! The whole family makes a trip to the local craft store for paper, glue, and paint. Everyone has a job: Ma-Ma joins sticks together. Ba-Ba glues paper. Mei-Mei cuts whiskers while Jie-Jie paints a laughing mouth. Dragon eyes are added and then everyone attaches the final touch . . . a noisemaker! Now their dragon kite is ready to fly. Kite Flying celebrates the Chinese tradition of kite making and kite flying and lovingly depicts a family bonded by this ancient and modern pleasure.

Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.

A tale of two brothers in fifteenth-century Korea from theNewbery Medal winner and #1 New York Times–bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water. In this riveting novel, two brothers discover a shared passion for kites. Kee-sup can craft a kite unequaled in strength and beauty, but his younger brother, Young-sup, can fly a kite as if he controlled the wind itself. It’s like the kite is part of him—the part that wants to fly. Their combined skills attract the notice of Korea’s young king, who chooses Young-sup to fly the royal kite in the New Year kite-flying competition—an honor that is also an awesome responsibility. Although tradition decrees, and the boys’ father insists, that the older brother represent the family, both brothers know that this time the family’s honor is best left in Young-sup’s hands. But how do you stand up to the way things have always been? This touching and suspenseful historical novel from the author of A Single Shard, filled with the authentic detail and flavor of traditional Korean kite fighting, brings a remarkable setting vividly to life. “The final contest . . . is riveting. Though the story is set in medieval times, the brothers have many of the same issues facing siblings today.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Readers will enjoy watching these engaging characters find ways of overcoming webs of social and cultural constraints to achieve a common goal, and the author expresses the pleasures of creating and flying kites—‘A few sticks, a little paper, some string. And the wind. Kite magic’—with contagious enthusiasm.” —Kirkus Reviews

Easy-to-follow illustrated instructions show how to create more than 50 awesome, airborne objects — everything from simple bag kites to Vietnamese, Snake, Dutch, Dragon, Bullet, Delta, and Flowform flyers.

Learn to construct & fly bold, electrifying, & super stunt & one-line kites, full construction details.

Provides step-by-step instruction for designing a variety of kites, and offers tips on material selection and flying techniques.

Three-time Coretta Scott King Award–winning author Angela Johnson and New York Times bestselling illustrator Loren Long introduce readers to a band of under-celebrated World War II heroes—the Tuskegee Airmen. All he ever wanted to do was fly. With fleeting prose and transcendent imagery, this book reveals how a boy’s love of flight takes him on a journey from the dusty dirt roads of Alabama to the war-torn skies of Europe and into the hearts of those who are only now beginning to understand the part these brave souls played in the history of America.

Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

This book gives a visual explanation of the physics of kites in flight and with many pictures and related exercises for you to try. With 125 pictures, illustrations, and 65 exercises it answers the questions: Are tails required on a kite? How can I improve the flight of my kite? What are the forces that act on my kite? What changes can I try? Do kites glide? What are some applications of kites that I can explore? Quotes: "You have done a wonderful job. I think a lot of people will find this very useful for teaching and for getting their kites to fly! I wish I had had this book when I was a kid." John Bognar, PhD. "It's fun. An excellent resource and learning tool for students and educators. An enjoyable stepping stone into the physics of flight. I highly recommend this book." Christine Traboulssi, Kite builder "It is fantastic! This is a comprehensive and readable discussion covering many unknowns of kite flying... the author brings a wealth of experience and practices to fliers of all ages." Geoff Bland, NASA