Jodie

Trapped and alone on the salt marshes, Jodie is troubled by a haunting presence in this eerily atmospheric ghost story from multi-award-winning author Hilary McKay

Jodie never wanted to come on the residential trip to the field centre.

A loner at school, she’s forced into a dormitory with other girls from her class who don’t understand her and talk about her behind her back. Even though they’re not trying to be mean, Jodie feels excluded and miserable, and eventually escapes out onto the salt marshes in search of a little dog she can hear barking in the distance.

But the salt marshes are dangerous and Jodie gets trapped by the incoming tide. Stuck in the sucking mud, will anyone even notice that she’s gone? And where is the little dog that keeps barking so mournfully …?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Reviews

"Packing so much in, this compassionate, dyslexia-friendly novella is an atmospheric, suspenseful adventure." – The Sunday Times

"Superbly chilling, brilliantly satisfying. A masterpiece of a modern-day ghost story." – Emma Carroll

"A hugely satisfying story about real loneliness, real friendship and a real ghost … Beautifully unpredictable." – Lissa Evans

"A wonderfully spooky, deeply satisfying read. The eerie atmosphere of the saltmarsh is captured so perfectly … and I loved Jodie's emotional journey too." – Lucy Strange

"I love a good ghost story & Jodie is a beauty. Salt marshes, incoming tide, a loner, & a dog who barks mournfully in the distance. Eerie, glittering, atmospheric perfection from Hilary McKay." – Eloise Williams

"A pared-down, compelling, deftly characterised ghost story for 10+" – The Guardian

About the author

Hilary McKay is one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors. Her books—including Saffy's Angel, The Skylarks' War, and The Swallows' Flight —have been published in over 30 languages and have won the Costa Children’s Book Award, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Award, and countless other accolades.