The Kites are Flying! by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Laura Carlin

I do not claim to have any expertise about the awful situation between Israel and Palestine - events which we witness daily in our media - but I am glad I found this little book which is set near the wall and explores this conflict from the point of view of a child. This book links with the ethos of IBBY and the vision of Jella Lepman and her message of peace. 

Book seller blurb: A television reporter's extraordinary experience in the West Bank reveals how children's hopes and dreams for peace and unity can fly higher than any wall built to divide communities and religions. Travelling to the West Bank to witness how life is for Palestinians and Jews living in the shadow of a dividing wall, journalist Max strikes up a friendship with an enigmatic Palestinian boy, Said. Together the two sit under an ancient olive tree while Said makes another of his kites. As Max is welcomed as a guest, he learns of the terrible events in the family's past and begins to understand why Said no longer speaks. Told from both Max's and Said's points of view, Morpurgo has created a beautiful tale of tragedy and hope with an ending that rings with joy.

This book was published in 2009. Someone purchased it. Then perhaps it sat on their shelves for over ten years. In 2024 it was donated to a charity and put out at their book sale. No one bought The Kites are Flying!. A couple of weeks ago in October 2025 I went to another charity book sale and found this book for just $3. My copy is in mint condition and has a dust jacket. This book is still available.

Here are some teachers notes from Amnesty International.

Morpurgo wrote this book in response to a series of events: a Jordanian teenager asking him to present the Palestinian side of the conflict; a kite-flying memorial to its victims on Hampstead Heath; a news story about a child being killed while flying a kite. Books for Keeps

Morpurgo's books are all underpinned by big philosophical ideas. They speak of compassion and generosity of spirit, of hope and reconciliation, and they are never less than honest. They don't duck uncomfortable truths. Most of all, they have never struck me as fearful. What they don't do, however, is allocate blame. It's quite difficult to write about the Middle East in a way that is suitable for primary school children. Current conflicts may end in different ways and truths are hidden behind propaganda from all sides. But anyone can recognise suffering and children, in my experience, genuinely want to be able to identify with the lives of their peers in other cultures and situations, no matter how distressing these lives may be. So, a book by Morpurgo, with its compassionate perspective, is always going to find the right mark. Book Bag

Other books you could look at include A Child's Garden: A Story of Hope by Michael Foreman for the very youngest readers, and A Girl Made of Dust by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi for middle readers.

Companion book:

I have now read five titles with this appealing format (small square shape and with colour illustrations by outstanding illustrators) from Walker Books but I have not been able to find a series name:

This morning I met a whale

I Believe in Unicorns

A Swallow in Winter

Captain Rosalie