The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life) - Softcover

"After all, if you don’t ask the world questions, then you won’t ever work out where the rainbow begins." And, boy, does Cedar B. Hartley have questions! Like, why won’t her Mum tell her about her father, who died when Cedar was a baby? And what happened to her older brother Barnaby, who ran away from boarding school and keeps in touch sporadically through cryptic postcards? The only thing that helps Cedar forget these troubling questions is her new hobby; acrobatics. When she goes tumbling with her new friend Kite, who can fly just like the bird he was named for, she comes close to finding the start of that elusive rainbow. Missing brothers, mysterious fathers, and the funny, more-than-friends feeling she has for Kite aren't going to keep Cedar B. Hartley from finding the answers she’s looking for to fulfill her plan for an "unusual life!"

Debut Australian author Martine Murray is a writer to watch. Equal parts Pippi Longstocking and Anastasia Krupnik, her audacious Aussie tomboy Cedar will quickly charm the Capri pants off the female pre-teen set with her pithy sayings and sweet naiveté. A thoughtfully placed glossary of Cedar’s slang is included at the end of the novel for those young readers unfamiliar with the jargon "down-under." A delightful must-read for fans of Paula Danziger and Jacqueline Wilson. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Martine Murray was born in Melboume and still lives there. This is her first novel but she has written and illustrated two picture books in Australia: A Dog Called Bear and A Moose Called Mouse. She has studied art, acrobatics and dance, and would like to buy a car with air-conditioning one day.