91 pages • 3 hours read
Khaled HosseiniThe Kite Runner
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Paired Texts & Other Resources
Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.
Recommended Texts for Pairing
Landays Collection from Poetry Foundation
- a collection of landays, a traditional Afghan poetry form made of a single couplet
- These poems examine the experience of Afghan women. While The Kite Runner is about a man’s experience, it discusses issues of sexism and women’s rights under Taliban rule.
- This short book is written in a prose similar to a children’s book or poetry.
- Like The Kite Runner, Sea Prayer depicts the hazardous journey of many immigrants and refugees searching for a better life.
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
- This novel by the same author is a collection of several short stories centering around two siblings.
- explores character development and moral dilemmas, like The Kite Runner
- And the Mountains Echoed on SuperSummary
Other Student Resources
New York Times article on Kite Fighting
- This article explains how kite fighting is an important part of Afghani culture.
- This biography explains Khaled Hosseini’s life.
- provides useful context for Amir’s character and the political environment of the novel
This News Article explains the Afghan population in Fremont, CA
- explains why many Afghan refugees live where Amir and Baba do in The Kite Runner
- describes the hurdles that immigrants face upon arriving to the US
Teacher Resources
The UN Refugee Agency on Afghanistan
- This resource provides information about the Afghan refugee population that can be further broken down for students to understand the context of The Kite Runner.
- includes helpful links for students who want to take further action or find more up-to-date information as the current conflict in Afghanistan continues to unfold.
Related Titles
By Khaled Hosseini
