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    The Kites Are Flying

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    Silvina Botto
    This story highlights the conflict in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israelis. The story follows Max, a journalist who travels to the West Bank to film about the dividing wall. He meets Said, a Palestinian boy whose older brother was killed in the conflict. Said does not speak and finds solace in kite making. Despite their suffering, Said's family kindly shelters Max when he is injured. The kites represent freedom, hope, and a way for Said to remember his brother and feel momentary joy despite their troubles under occupation. The ending implies the kites help Said and an Israeli girl briefly find common ground, expressing the author's hope that the children will someday overcome divisions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    The Kites Are Flying

    Uploaded by

    Silvina Botto
    319 views2 pages
    This story highlights the conflict in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israelis. The story follows Max, a journalist who travels to the West Bank to film about the dividing wall. He meets Said, a Palestinian boy whose older brother was killed in the conflict. Said does not speak and finds solace in kite making. Despite their suffering, Said's family kindly shelters Max when he is injured. The kites represent freedom, hope, and a way for Said to remember his brother and feel momentary joy despite their troubles under occupation. The ending implies the kites help Said and an Israeli girl briefly find common ground, expressing the author's hope that the children will someday overcome divisions.

    Original Description:

    Excellent historical novel for teens.

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    the_kites_are_flying

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    This story highlights the conflict in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israelis. The story follows Max, a journalist who travels to the West Bank to film about the dividing wall. He meets Said, a Palestinian boy whose older brother was killed in the conflict. Said does not speak and finds solace in kite making. Despite their suffering, Said's family kindly shelters Max when he is injured. The kites represent freedom, hope, and a way for Said to remember his brother and feel momentary joy despite their troubles under occupation. The ending implies the kites help Said and an Israeli girl briefly find common ground, expressing the author's hope that the children will someday overcome divisions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    319 views2 pages

    The Kites Are Flying

    Uploaded by

    Silvina Botto
    This story highlights the conflict in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israelis. The story follows Max, a journalist who travels to the West Bank to film about the dividing wall. He meets Said, a Palestinian boy whose older brother was killed in the conflict. Said does not speak and finds solace in kite making. Despite their suffering, Said's family kindly shelters Max when he is injured. The kites represent freedom, hope, and a way for Said to remember his brother and feel momentary joy despite their troubles under occupation. The ending implies the kites help Said and an Israeli girl briefly find common ground, expressing the author's hope that the children will someday overcome divisions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Using fiction to teach human rights

    THE KITES
    ARE FLYING
    by Michael Morpurgo
    Upper primary/Lower secondary

    This uplifting story highlights the conflict Background


    on the West Bank. It includes themes of
    love, loss, hope and the desire for peace. The story is set in the West Bank, part of the
    Max is a journalist and film-maker who occupied Palestinian territories. Since the
    travels to the West Bank to make a film foundation of the state of Israel in 1948 there
    has been conflict between the Israelis and the
    about the wall that divides the Palestinians
    Palestinians over ownership of land. Hundreds
    and Israelis. Said is a Palestinian boy of thousands of Palestinians were displaced in
    whose older brother Mahmoud was the fighting of 1948. Since 1967 the Israelis have
    killed in the conflict. The two are brought occupied the West Bank and have built many
    together, and Max begins to understand settlements in the occupied territory which are
    why Said does not speak and the deemed to be illegal under international law. It is in
    importance of his kite-making. the shadow of one of these settlements that Said
    and his family live.
    Published by
    Walker Books LEBANON
    SYRIA

    Mediterranean Sea Golan Heights

    WEST BANK
    Jerusalem
    GAZA

    ISRAEL

    JORDAN

    EGYPT

    Amnesty International Using fiction to teach human rights 2013


    Ideas for the classroom

    QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Universal Declaration


    of Human Rights
    1. How have Said’s family suffered in the last
    few years? Article 3: We all have the right to life, and to live in
    Possible answers: freedom and safety.
    • Said’s father in prison
    • Mahmoud’s death Article 9: Nobody has the right to put us in prison
    • Said not talking without a good reason, to keep us there or to send
    • Losing their best land us away from our country.
    • Lack of water for crops (diverted to settlements)
    Article 25: We all have the right to a standard of
    2. Despite their suffering, how does the family living that is adequate for our wellbeing.
    show their kindness to the stranger Max?
    Possible answers: Article 28: We have a right to peace and order so
    They freely provide food, cold water for his ankle, that we can all enjoy rights and freedoms in our
    shelter while he recovers, and an improvised own country and all over the world.
    crutch. They also allow him to film them.

    3. ‘It’s the only time we can forget all our FOLLOW-UP WORK
    troubles and sadnesses, and just be happy
    again.’ (p.15) What do the kites symbolise for Make a wall display of kites with messages for
    the boys? Said and the girl in the Jewish settlement on them.
    Possible answers:
    • Freedom Do some research into the conflict in the Middle
    • Innocent joy East. What must life be like for children living in a
    • Hope war zone?
    • Escape from daily troubles on earth
    • Friendship, reconciliation and peace You will find a short version of this story in
    • Keeping memory of brother alive Amnesty International’s anthology of short stories
    Free. In this version No Trumpets Needed, we do
    4. What do you think of the ending of the story? not hear Said’s voice. Compare the two. What do
    What did the kites mean for Said and the you think the story loses or gains?
    Jewish girl? What moral do you think the
    author is expressing? Watch a short film about adapting this story for
    the stage at http://vimeo.com/50531016
    5. Look again at the dedication at the start
    of the book: ‘For the children who live
    on both sides of the wall, who will one find out more
    day bring it tumbling down. No guns or
    trumpets needed.’ Do you think this might Further teaching resources can be found at:
    be possible? www.amnesty.org.uk/education

    ROLE PLAY

    In pairs imagine the interview film-maker Max


    might have had with the girl in the blue headscarf.
    Would she have shared Said’s ideas?

    Amnesty International Using fiction to teach human rights 2013

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