Up and up the wind drew him. Haoyou looked about him and saw the wholeworld beneath him. And it was his. The Great Miao, master of the Jade Circus, offers Haoyou the amazing chance to escape his family's poverty -- by becoming a kite rider. Strapped onto a beautiful scarlet-and-gold kite, Haoyou is sent into the sky, earning money, freedom, and unexpected fame. Miao even plans for Haoyou to perform before Kublai Khan himself. From Carnegie Medalist Geraldine McCaughrean comes a dazzling story of adventure, betrayal, family, and sacrifice set in the dramatic world of thirteenth-century China.

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.

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.

Each The Kite Rider Class Pack contains 15 copies of the Rollercoasters edition of The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean and 15 The Kite Rider Reading Guides to support the student in their study of the novel. The amazing story of Haoyou, strapped to a kite and sent to fly among the clouds and the spirits of the dead. This highly acclaimed novel is full of the sights, sounds and smells of Ancient China, with an epic, adventurous, incredibly moving story. Themes: family, responsibility, coming of age, friendship, cultural differences Teaching Focus: * Strong Characterization lends itself to drama activities * Rich language and vocabulary, ideal for sentence level work * Bias and opinion feature in alternating narratives * Cross-curricular links to History and Religious Studies Recommended for students in Years 7 and 8 The Rollercoasters series is a set of imaginative and exciting books that your students will not want to put down. All books are supported by extensive teacher resources online, in print and on CD-ROM, and contain themes that will appeal to girls, boys and mixed ability classes. Each book is also accompanied by Reading Guides to provide essential background material for students on the novel of the same title, and include a letter to the student from the author of the novel, thematic activities, wider reading references and short reviews.

War has broken out in the Middle East and all foreigners are fleeing. Instead of escaping with his neighbors, Adam sneaks off to save his dog, which has been left behind. Lost in the desert, Adam meets Walid, an abused camel boy who is on the run. Together they struggle to survive the elements and elude the revengeful master from whom Walid has fled. Cultural and language barriers are wide, but with ingenuity and determination the two boys bridge their differences, helping each other to survive and learn what true friendship is.

Eleven-year-old Phelim and his companions, a Maiden, a Fool, and a strange black Horse, journey to the Stoor Worm's lair to destroy the long-forgotten Worm and its Hatchlings, who have been roused from their slumber by the sounds of war.