The Worry Tree

Description

Just because something's not magic doesn't mean it can't be magical ...Juliet's a worrywart, and no wonder! Her little sister, Oaf, follows her around singing 'The Irritating Song' all day long. Her parents are always arguing about Dad's junk. There's Nana, who's so tired of craft lessons that she starts barbecuing things in the middle of the night. And then there are her friends, Lindsay and Gemma, who start a competition to see which of them is Juliet's best friend. Juliet can't fit in any more worries! But then she makes a remarkable discovery. Behind the wallpaper in her new bedroom, Juliet uncovers a very old painting of a tree with animals in its branches. Nana remembers it well. It's the Worry Tree, and with the help of a duck called Delia and the other Worry Tree animals, Juliet just might be able to solve some of life's big problems.

Marianne Musgrove wrote her first full-length novel at the age of eleven: a romantic thriller featuring her unfortunate classmates. Although the unpublished manuscript met with only localised acclaim, she never gave up her dream of becoming an author. A descendant of King Henry VIII's librarian, you could say books are in her blood! Marianne grew up in Sydney then moved to Adelaide to go to university. There, she studied English (which she loved), law (which she loathed) and social work (which she made her career for several years). Marianne's first children's novel, THE WORRY TREE, is the winner of the Australian Family Therapists Award for Children's Literature 2008 and has been shortlisted for three other awards. LUCY THE GOOD is available now, and DON'T BREATHE A WORD will be published in 2009. To read up on Marianne's exploits, check out www.mariannemusgrove.com.au