Tareta lives on an island

Tareta Riki is thirteen years old. She is Polynesian and lives on the little island of
Aitutaki in the South Pacific. Aitutaki is one of a group of islands called the Cook Islands.

Tareta has two sisters and a brother. Her mother is a customs officer at the airport
and her father is an ambulance driver at the island hospital. Her older brother doesn't
live at home. He is married and lives in New Zealand.

Tareta goes to school on the island. "I like most subjects," she says. "I like learning
new things. My favorite subject is physics, but I also like gymnastics and volleyball.
We have homework to do every evening."

"At home in the evening I like cooking and making clothes. On weekends I have
dancing classes. I love dancing and listening to music."