The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life

Name: The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life
Author: Martine Murray
ISBN: 1865086231

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

(who Planned to Live an Unusual Life)

by Martine Murray

Reading Level 6 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

Children's Book Council of Australia, short-listed book

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

What would you do if your dog went missing just as you were about to turn thirteen? Cedar B. Hartley is about to find out, juggling new friendships and daring acrobatics while trying to make sense of her changing world. Can she hold on to what matters most, or will everything slip through her fingers?

Themes

Family FriendshipSelf-perceptionAdventureAustralia

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade novel follows nearly-13-year-old Cedar B. Hartley as she navigates the challenges of family, friendship, and self-discovery after losing her dog. Set in Australia, the story blends humor and tenderness to explore themes of belonging and identity in an age-appropriate way for readers ages 9 to 12. It offers a sensitive portrayal of growing up without intense content concerns.

Why we rated The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life 11LE

The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life is written at a Level 6 reading level across 226 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life explores family, friendship, self-perception, adventure, and australia — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about family, friendship, self-perception.
✓ Readers (and parents) who care about award-recognized writing — The slightly true story of Cedar B. Hartley, who planned to live an unusual life carries an award.