I read this as a preview copy on my Kindle, but I assume as it's Barrington Stoke that the print copy will have the usual accessibility features.

This was a beautiful story about a non school attender building a space in a group of friends. A subtle ghost story follows along - however without the fear!

Jodie is a lovely short story, ideal for when you want something shorter - but still with a level of maturity in it's themes of loneliness, anxiety and finding a place to belong

With themes of poverty, fitting in, and the supernatural, this illustrated novella packs a punch. Suspenseful edge-of-the-seat eeriness is set on a salt marsh where Jodie goes on a school trip with her new classmates. It’s a new beginning for Jodie. Her brother has been sent to prison and her family have had to move across the country to be nearer to him. The reader inhales the murky sentiments of shame, resentment and hardship right off the pages. As a child who is struggling to cope, just surviving, and only feeling she can do what she has to do to keep herself sane, she ends up breaking a few rules whilst on the trip. However, if she hadn’t then she wouldn’t have ended up wandering alone on the marshland, she wouldn’t have heard the little dog barking in distress, met the old lady, or made friends with a bunch of school girls who, it turns out, are all as interesting and different in their own ways, just like Jodie (with, I believe, sub-context from the author of neurodiversity). A page-turner of a ghost story filled with drama and suspense!!

I really enjoyed Jodie. It's spooky and atmospheric with teenage angst. Does anyone feel right about themselves.
Feeling like a real outsider, Jodie keeps herself well and truly to herself. As she faces pushing outside her limits, she finds herself in a school residential. Sharing a room with others she sees they are all very different, have their quirks but gel together. Still pushing herself.away she faces her difference; speaking to ghost and gets herself in a jam. Yet its those other girls who save the day and show her she can belong.

This was a wonderful atmospheric story aimed at older primary or younger secondary pupils. The titular character is new to school and much prefers her own company, and to listen to those around her, rather than be a part of conversations. So when she takes herself off for a walk, she listens hard to the sounds around her and hears a lost dog barking and meets a mysterious old woman. As the wild countryside threatens and the tide draws in, Jodie learns that sharing the world with others might not be a terrible thing. With easy to read font, short chapters and a short story, this is great for readers growing in confidence but not quite ready for a full length novel. The illustrations help the reader to picture the wildness of the scenery while leaving enough to the imagination.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

I didn't love nor hate this. I like the idea of the setting (any sort of boarding school or summer camp vibe is up my street) but due to the nature of this being a novella, it wasn't explored much.
The ghost aspect I didn't love either. Normally I'm all for it, but in this story, Jodie reminded me of myself as a kid, and I would've preferred her going off being explained by her desire to escape or be alone, not following a ghost bark?

The overall message of the girls coming together to help Jodie and them all having their own problems that they all know about but don't care about was nice.

Jodie was a super read and very different from my usual choice of book. From the very beginning, you are drawn into the life of Jodie and the many ups and downs she has already experienced. She is not sure who she is, what she wants or how she fits in with everyone else. The rich description certainly creates a fantastic atmosphere which immediately creates a sense of foreboding. There are plenty of clues scattered throughout the story which hint towards the ending without revealing too much. I read this from cover to cover in one sitting as I had to know how the story ended. Our UKS2 children will certainly enjoy this as the book conveys an important message for everyone: it's okay to be exactly who we are.

Troubled Jodie doesn't have any friends at her new school after they have moved across the country due to some family trouble. She prefers to be alone, doesn't interact with others and would prefer to be at home but she has to endure a school residential trip to a centre on the salt marshes. She can hear a dog barking and there are rumours the marshes are haunted. An atmospheric ghost story which is challenging in his themes but accessible for so many readers due to its length. Readers fet a true ghost story here and what I also enjoyed was the relationship between the girls and how it developed. Beautiful illustrations too by Keith Robinson which perfectly matches the atmosphere in the story. Absolutely loved it.

This book tells the story of Jodie, an introverted girl who goes on a school trip with classmates to a salt marsh. The descriptions of the marsh are wonderful – you can feel the eerie beauty of the place, and this only compounded by the sound of the little dog barking. I also loved the realistic portrayal of the relationship dynamics – the awkwardness of being painfully shy and being thrown into the social eddies of a dorm room with classmates and the adults who attempt to engage with her. As well as the strangeness of the marsh, the curiosity about the dog and possible ghosts, there is also a sense of loneliness. These aspects are realistically resolved by the end of the novel. I really enjoyed this novel. It is also dyslexia friendly, which is always a bonus!

Jodie is a short novel which packs a mighty punch! Hilary McKay is a master at using the unsaid to further enrich her stories, meaning this book could give way to incredible classroom discussion. It’s a dark and moody read, with an eerie tone. I think this would be a great book to read with Year 6. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I read this book in one sitting. A great Barrington Stoke book for teens. Issues such as teen bed wetting, loneliness, anxiety and talking behind backs are tackled.

Jodie is on a school excursion trip and is feeling isolated so she follows the sound of a dog’s bark and ends up in danger.

Short paragraphs and short chapters make this a good choice for the teen who finds reading a challenge.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

Jodie’s world has changed considerably since her brother was convicted of an unspecified crime and the family had to move house to avoid the finger pointing. She has not made friends at her new school and only really talks to a favourite teacher. This teacher has persuaded Jodie to participate in the school residential trip to a local wildlife centre where they are to spend time looking at bugs and other water creatures from the nearby marsh.
Jodie is assigned to share a room with 4 other girls but is determined to avoid them as they talk about her behind her back and she feels very different from them.
Going out alone- the first rule broken, Jodie can hear a dog barking and knows she needs to rescue it. But only when she knows what she has to do to set the dog free does she understand the full extent of what she is doing. She knows her life is now in danger, but help comes from an unexpected quarter.
With friendship an important part of this ghost story Jodie begins to appreciate the reason she was put together with the other girls.

A predicament to mirror life, the opening finds Jodie trapped, on a half-sunken car seemingly alone. The story tells of Jodie, how she got to that stage, of a ghostly presence and a child on a biology field trip feeling isolated. Unusual in telling the story primarily from Jodie's POV which gives her perspective and feelings on the trip, on the need to run, and on her life. A haunting story in more than ways than one, but one of hope.

For all the 'mood' and scene setting/structure which did work very well, I did feel the story jumped to quickly between phases in the latter part, but on the whole an interesting and recommended read.

I am a massive fan of both Hilary McKay and Barrington Stoke so knew this would be a must read. It is a wonderful, succinct ghost story - eerie and atmospheric without being too scary. The salt marsh setting is bleak but perfectly reflects Jodie’s troubled life. From the very first pages when you find out Jodie is trapped out in the marshes, you’re sure to be gripped.

I had a hard time getting into this novella because the writing just didn't capture me. I dived in blind so I wasn't expecting any magical realism or supernatural ongoings, and I can't say I enjoyed it. I wanted to know so much more about Jodie's backstory but the book offers so little.

The illustrations are a nice accompaniment to bland writing and a thin plot as I wouldn't have been able to visualise the story otherwise. There are some good themes about loneliness and friendship but again, it's all very basic.

Such a shame as Hilary McKay was one of my favourite authors when I was a teen and I don't usually have a miss from this publisher. Overall, Jodie is an imaginative and quick read but utterly forgettable. Stunning cover though!

How can authors be so talented to write such complex and gripping stories using the parameters set by being a hi-lo story?
This works on all levels - a story about not fitting in, about embracing your differences, loneliness in a crowd, adventure and a ghost story.
It is an immediate story that doesn't rely on back history or what comes next but it still isn't a fairy story with a "and then they lived happily ever after" vibe.

In addition to all of this McKay evokes the setting of a coastal salt marsh exactly - all within the story.
A brilliant read as an adult so I hope that others like it as much as I did

Another brilliant exploration by McKay and Barrington Stoke in their high interest, low ability publication list. Jodie's story is one that many students will connect with - she's vulnerable, her family are in turmoil and she's isolated in her new school. Her anxiety forces her to leave the group and search for quiet in her sleepaway camp with her new school. She stumbles into trouble and it's her new friends that work together to help her out of it.
A very quick read but a valuable one to have in Primary School book boxes.

Being a huge fan of Hiliary's writing, I was thrilled at being given the opportunity of an early read of Jolie and as expected I was not disappointed. On the surface, Jodie is a short ghost story brilliantly written but it is also a book about acceptance. Being published by the wonderful folk at Barrington Stoke means that this is a highly accessible text.
Jodie, the main protagonist, finds herself on a school trip that she wishes she wasn't on. Very quickly we, the reader, discover that Jodie has had a lot of upheaval and struggle as a result of family circumstance and we quickly warm to her character. Hiliary McKay skilfully guides the reader through the story with pace, empathy and willingness. Out on the Salt Marshes, Jodie hopes to escape the claustrophobia of being on the trip and it is there she hears the desperate barks of a dog. A dog that is trapped, scared and alone. Jodie sets off to help only to be met by a shuffling old woman who also seems to be searching. What follows is an atmospheric read with likeable, relatable characters. Brilliantly crafted illustrations only add to this wonderful read.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the e-Arc.

Hilary McKay made my grandchildren cry (and me too) but they were happy tears. We adored this short book. We read it after Sunday lunch and it was magical. The story of a sad girl whose family have had a very difficult time and she is struggling with the trauma. An adventure leads to true friendship, we loved it.

I’m a big fan of Hilary McKay’s writing, Keith Robinson’s artwork is always spot on and the small-but-mighty Barrington Stoke books are consistently brilliant too. So a book combining all three was always going to be a winner!

And it is.

Jodie has been through a lot. I love how Hilary McKay manages in just a few sentences to give us a sense of her backstory and the upheavals and struggles her family has had. It gives her depth and us understanding without detouring from the story at hand.

We meet Jodie on a school trip she does not want to be on. Her class are on residential at a nature reserve on the salt marshes, which she has been begrudgingly convinced to go on.


Having gradually been reintroduced to social situations following the upheavals at home, she’s been supported by Mrs Nolan at her new school (Mrs N by the way sounds like the absolute best and I will be considering myself ‘different and interesting’ from now on, thank you very much). But an unexpected turn of events mean Mrs Nolan isn’t here; Jodie isn’t comfortable with the other children or the over-familiar, chatty camp staff (God, I felt her pain – Call-me-Gelo would have driven me nuts too!) So she breaks the first rule of camp and takes herself off alone…

…and when she does she hears a dog. Barking. Pleading. Scared. Alone. Desperate for someone to help (I loved how the dog seemed to hold up a mirror to Jodie’s own emotions). So Jodie heads off to find and help the dog, but where is it and who is the slow, shuffling old woman who also seems to be looking for it?

And so begins a creepy, atmospheric and increasingly panic-filled solo journey across the salt marshes. As the tide comes in, Jodie finds herself stuck but if no one knew she’d gone, how will she ever get out?

I loved the other children in this. They felt so real. Yes, they found Jodie a bit odd and it’s no surprise she felt excluded after hearing them discussing her, but they don’t seem like the trope-y clique of mean bullies MG likes to serve up. And as we see more of them, we soon see each of them has their own unique ‘different and interesting’ quality too, and that they’re welcome to make space for Jodie with them, even if they don’t necessarily know how to go about this at first.


Seeing them notice her gone, look for her and most brilliantly cover for her (I’ve no doubt kids will love this post-rescue scene of ridiculous-question-bombardment) is such a joyful thing, and the rescue with allergic-to-everything Rachel at the helm is one of the finest finales I’ve read for a while. The use of the twin’s headscarves after earlier seeing how important they held them to be was particularly moving.

Lucy especially is a wonderful character and the way she helps build a bridge with Jodie is so special. And the way they discover together the truth about the hauntings followed by a rooftop scene full of promise is just a perfect ending.

And then there’s the illustrations, which capture it all so wonderfully and with such understanding. From the busy, messy, chatty girls bedroom to the desolate marshes and sunk, stuck truck to the peace and solitude of the rooftop at night – and the hope and togetherness of it by the end. All add so much to the story and really bring it to life.


This is super accessible and short enough to not be overwhelming, with a story sure to draw young readers in – ghosts and mystery on the chilling salt marshes whilst on school residential with relatable, likeable characters. It’s another Barrington Stoke hit for sure.

Barrington Stoke are books I use a lot/recommend a lot within my school or classroom as they are high interest but low cognitive demand. Pupils receive these books well and I can tell this book is no exception!

We are introduced to the character of Jodie, who goes to a new school and is rather isolated. Jodie goes on a school trip with her class and she ends up sharing a room with other girls she doesn’t know very well.

As the story progresses, eerie dog barking occurs on the marshes and we wonder who is the mysterious women Jodie encounters?

A particular strength of this story is the beautiful descriptive elements used throughout. A perfect tingly feeling story suitable for KS2.