Author(s): Margaret Mahy

NZ fiction

Zerelda lived in the middle of a great city. It stretched in every direction, but she felt she knew it by heart. This was partly because her parents worked in the city, driving tourists to markets and museums in a yellow gig pulled by Puzzle ÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂâÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂàtheir hard-working horse. Zerelda and Puzzle were particularly good friends, and perhaps having a horse by way of a friend made Zerelda pay special attention to the city statues standing at important city corners or in the centres of its green squares. And Zerelda had a strange secret ÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂâÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂàshe could understand horse language. So Puzzle told her many unexpected things about the city . . . all from a horseÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂâÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂs point of view of course.

Kiwi Bites are pitched at young readers (7ÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂâÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂÃÂÂÂ12) with the aim of building reading skills and confidence. They have strong plot-based stories, with themes of humour, confidence, sport, adventure, caring, journeys and problem-solving. Children, parents and teachers love these stories.