Ride North

Ride North by Maria de Jong is a captivating tale of adventure and friendship between a young girl and her pony.

Tooth is my pony, but he's his own boss. I take care of him and, in exchange, he lets me ride him. I wasn't surprised when Tooth first communicated with me. All I knew was that with Tooth, it was different. I loved him the minute I saw him. Of course, we understood each other.

Twelve-year-old Folly is angry and grieving for her mum. She isn't ready for Dad's plans for a new life in Auckland with his new girlfriend. So Folly runs away with the one friend who truly understands: her wise pony, Tooth.

With her mother's ashes in her backpack, Folly sets off to the fabled Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of New Zealand. Through tourist towns and wilderness, across beaches, roads, and forest tracks, Folly and Tooth find both adventure and hardship. But then a spur-of-the-moment choice sets danger on their tail. Girl and horse must fight to survive together – to the very end of the road.

Cover art by Sian James