In a world where building and flying kites is what almost everyone does, Oliver is a failure. He can’t make kites or fly them. Every kite he touches is ruined. He’s the laughingstock of his village. To make matters worse his parents haven’t a clue what his life is like. Since the annual kite festival is coming up Oliver decides he must go to his crackpot Great Uncle Gilbert for help. But his father doesn’t even know where the former champion lives.
Author Stephen Messer really made me care for Oliver in Windblowne (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2010). I love the world building in this middle grade fantasy. I love how Oliver has a map in his head of all the oaks, his persistence, how he talks to the kites, his care for others . . . but I better stop telling you what I love in this story or I’ll give too much away!
I was delighted to meet Stephen at the recent SCBWI Carolina’s conference, where I heard about his newest book: The Death of Yorik Mortwell. His third book. Colossus, is coming out from Random House in 2013.