Fiction > Developing Readers > Kiwi Bites

Ms Li's class is getting ready for the Science Fair and Chad, Jordan, Zoe and Keisha want to come up with a mind-blowing project. With the help of Chad's eccentric Auntie Kym, they decide to try and make a Black Hole! But class bully Shaun Simpson, whose dad always gives him special stuff for his projects, seems determined to ruin it. No matter how they present the group project, using vacuum cleaners, clocks and paint guns, Shaun always finds a way to wreck it. The four kids work hard, (when Zoe can manage to stay out of detentio... read more

Everyone in Brad's family is famous except for him. His Grandad is famous for his sunglasses collection; his Grandma is famous for her wonky woodwork; his mum is famous for her heart-covered car; his dad is famous for his three-layer chocolate peppermint cake; his sister is famous for her tattoos; and his brother is famous for his socks. Even his cat is famous! Despite trying heaps of different things, Brad just can't find a way to be famous. His worst enemy for being famous is Hanna Spark - she has had her photog... read more

On the planet Muddletopia, everything looks the same. The buildings look the same and the people look the same. As you might expect, this makes life very confusing! Then, one day, Queen Malvina the Magnificent decides to give everything labels. She believes this will make Muddletopia a much less muddled place to live. So everything - every house, every chair, every blade of grass, every pair of underpants - is labelled. On top of this, every person is ordered to wear a hat with their job clearly labelled on the front. Ten-year-old ... read more

Charlotte Frisbee is the president of a secret club called PAWS (the Perfectly Amazing Word Society). Along with the other members of PAWS - super-brain Podge, extra-serious Bugsy and freaky-looking Simon - the big excitement of Charlotte's week is getting the club together for word games and general language silliness. That is, until one day when strange things start to happen around the school. What has caused the stinky green slime the kids have noticed around the place? And who stole the S's from the school sign and ripped the ... read more

Richard and Braden's idea for their Wearable Arts costume is a little bit strange, but this is one competition they have to win! Not only do they aim to teach Candi and her group of gossipy girls a lesson in fashion design, Braden's famous dad will be there with a television crew, and Braden is desperate to show him that he can be a winner too.

Louisa can't decide what will be worse about camp - abseiling or being in the same group as show-off Jason Ballinger. But something else is worrying Louisa, something she can't tell anyone - or everyone will be laughing at her.

Mark has been chosen to represent his school at the rock-climbing championships in Sydney, but there's one problem - money. To raise funds for the trip, his friend Kenneth and his Aunt Julia persuade Mark to start a business, making delicious muffins to sell at school and door-to-door in the neighbourhood. But someone wants to sabotage Mark's enterprise.

Danny and Nicki notice their dog Patch is bringing home bones to bury in the garden. The only thing is that these bones look like human bones. The police are called in, their dad's prize-winning flowers are dug up and all turns to chaos. Can Patch, the chief suspect, help solve the mystery of the bones? Kiwi Bites are bite-sized stories for younger readers from favourite authors.

Abbey's wish had come true - she was going to be Angel Gabriel in the school play. On the night of the performance she has a terrible fright and begins to hiccup, and hiccup, and hiccup...

Albert was your sort of designer cat, made up of bits and pieces of what might have been left over from the making of other plain and ordinary cats. We found him at the dump. Albert grew. This was not surprising given how much he ate! But one day Albert decided not to stay ...

Reuben and Matt's father suggests they go to the mall because they are driving each other bananas at home. Reuben knows that Matt doesn't like crowds any more than he likes the mall. 'I'm trusting you to look after Matt,' says Dad. Reuben makes a face. Reuben thinks that his little brother Matt ruins everything - at home, at the mall, at the magic show. He's told him to get lost so often. But now a wave of hot and cold fear grips Reuben ...

Piddles is a cat with a problem. At first he stole lost golf balls, but now he is taking them off the fairway while they are still in play, right from under the golfer’s nose. Actually, she once had another problem but is cured of that one. Piddles’ family decide to take her to an animal psychologist, ... read more

Steven had to think of something fast. It was his dad?s birthday on Saturday and he didn?t have a present. What could he buy for one dollar? Then Ryan Donovan arrived at school carrying a cage containing a very pretty rat, white with a black patch like a hood over her head. Problem solved?

Nobody enjoys an unpleasant surprise at breakfast time. So imagine Angus' shock when he discovered his yummy cheesy spaghetti wriggling around in the saucepan like agitated slimy earthworms. His mother is too busy to look and his sister thinks it is just another one of his pranks, so he takes the spaghetti to school.

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 ÃÂÂÂÂ... read more

Barry had always wanted a dog. Ever since he was little. But when he asked his Mum she had all the excuses. She said they cost too much and would be bad for his asthma. So there they were, Bitsa and Barry, getting closer and closer to home. Barry couldn't believe how obedient Bitsa was. It was like he'd been on a leash all his life. It was like they'd been mates all his life too. His tail wagged like crazy. It was Barry that was getting cold feet. He knew his Mum would go mad when she saw the dog. What if she made me take him back?... read more

Dougal scowled at the old umbrella in his hand. He chucked it into the junk pile. This was turning out to be the worst summer holiday ever. Okay, he was sorry Nan had a sore back. But why did big-mouthed sister Sarah have to say that she and Dougal would do some work round the place? He was meant to be on holiday! He'd ended up with the yucky job of clearing junk out of the cupboard under the stairs, where he had found an old suitcase with leather corners and cracked straps and rusty buckles. Inside was a small bundle of tartan clo... read more

Brenda wants to go on an interplanetary cultural exchange, organised by her school. This would mean that while Brenda spent a week on the curious-looking Planet of the Beezee Birds, her family would host a Beezeeian kid! While Brenda investigates the native diet of white jellies and nose biscuits and learns how to play mugboo, the alien Donk discovers chocolate and playing in treehuts! The Kiwi Bites series are pitched at young readers (7âÃÂÂ... read more

Timothy is a self-proclaimed tell-tale. While it certainly earns him more enemies than fiends, he believes he is 'doing the right thing' by dishing the dirt on his little sister and his classmates when they do naughty things. However, one day Timothy gets himself into big trouble and finds it's not so easy to pipe up and tell the truth when it's himself who will be taking the rap.

Last year, Tom and Mikaere came last in the annual school trolley race. Not second, or third, or sixth dead last! But this year, they ve got a secret weapon..