The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

Two brothers in ancient Korea love the annual New Year's Kite Festival.  Kee-sup loves to make kites using amazing care and exactness.  His younger brother Young-sup has a natural gift for flying kites, reading the wind and instinctively knowing how the kite will react.  The two boys catch the eye of child emperor, and break with tradition while forming a special friendship.

This is an interesting historical fiction.  It is not new but it is on The Battle of the Books list this year so I thought I would read it.  It has some relational conflicts, but it is completely devoid of violence or malice. There are no fight scenes or battles, or evil overlords. It is a good choice for a younger advanced reader, or for kids whose parents don't want their kids reading the rougher stuff.  (2000, 136 p.)