MURRAY, Martine 1965-

PERSONAL: Born 1965, in Melbourne, Australia. Education: Attended Prahan College, Victorian College of the Arts, and Melbourne University.

ADDRESSES: Home—Melbourne, Australia. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Allen & Unwin, P.O. Box 8500, St. Leonards 1590, New South Wales, Australia.

CAREER: Writer, illustrator, dancer, and yoga teacher. Founder of dance-theater company Bird on a Wire.

WRITINGS:

FOR YOUNG READERS

A Dog Called Bear (picture book), illustrated by Francesca Partridge and Franck Dubuc, Random House Australia (Milsons Point, Australia), 2000.

(And illustrator) A Moose Called Mouse (picture book), Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2001.

(And illustrator) The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life) (young adult novel), Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2002, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2003.

How to Make a Bird (young adult novel), Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2003.

Henrietta: There's No One Better, Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2004.

The Slightly Bruised Glory of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Can't Help Flying High and Falling in Deep), Allen & Unwin (Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: "Quirky" and "original" are among the words reviewers have used to describe Martine Murray's works, which range from picture books for very young children to more complex chapter books for teenagers. The Australian author's first full-length novel, and her first book to be published in the United States, The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), is a coming-of-age tale aimed at students in the middle grades. Its title character is an outgoing, perceptive adolescent girl who lives in an Australian city with her widowed mother. She has an older brother whose whereabouts are unknown, and she feels his absence but enjoys the company of a variety of unconventional friends and neighbors. With a new friend, the son of circus performers, she produces a benefit performance to finance medical care for a neighbor's dog. Over the course of the novel, she learns much about herself, her family, and other people.

"Cedar tells her own story in an utterly unique voice" observed Gillian Engberg in Booklist, predicting that readers would be "charmed" by the tale. Kliatt contributor Claire Rosser called The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life) "a quirky novel, original, filled with energy," and Horn Book critic Martha V. Parravano deemed it "captivating." Although a Publishers Weekly critic found the novel to be "promising if uneven," the reviewer added that there are passages "of startling power." On the other hand, Susan Patron concluded in School Library Journal that "this story vibrates with authenticity." She found the novel's urban setting well-drawn and its characters "fully realized."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 608; November 15, 2004, Hazel Rochman, "Top 10 First Novels for Youth," p. 599.

Horn Book, September-October, 2003, Martha V. Parravano, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 615.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2003, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 808.

Kliatt, September, 2004, Claire Rosser, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 24.

Publishers Weekly, June 23, 2003, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 67.

School Library Journal, August, 2003, Susan Patron, review of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life), p. 164.

Teacher Librarian, October, 2004, Kathleen Odean, "Nonconformists," p. 18.

ONLINE

Aussie Reviews Online, http://www.aussiereviews.com/ (May 20, 2005), Sally Murphy, reviews of The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (Who Planned to Live an Unusual Life) and A Moose Called Mouse.