Kids into books: Biddy Alone

Author: Wanda Cowley

Illustrator: Susan Opie

Age: 7-10 years

Publisher: Mallinson Rendell, $14.95


"Biddy, I've told you over and over, it's absolutely impossible. Conditions ..."

"I could put a bell around his neck like we did in Fiordland. All the birds would hear him coming and fly away."

"Biddy, I've told you, the Wildlife Service has spent years and years and hundreds of dollars clearing the island of cats."

"But they were feral cats."

"I know, but they were bred from pet cats taken by the early rangers and their families."

"Dad, he"s a male cat. He can"t have babies."

Mr Wallace banged his first on the table. "Bridget! Give up, will you! It"s no use. Park Board rules : NO cats. We can"t change the rules."

Biddy jumped up clutching Kit to her. Her chair wobbled and fell over. "Well, I think the rules are dumb and the Park Board"s dumb too."

She flung out of the kitchen and banged the door behind her.