I love to read and although thrillers are my favourite, I will read lots of other genres as well, including children’s books. When I was asked to review Jodie and the Library Card by Julie Hodgson, the story intrigued me as it is about reading and the loss of books and libraries, so I agreed.
Jodie and the Library Card is a time-travelling adventure novel aimed at children 9-12 years old.
12 year old Jodie Broom (she is almost 13) lives in the year 2075 when everything has gone digital. Printed media has been banned since 2025 and there are no longer any books or libraries as we know them. Everybody has an eReader, but Jodie is a bookworm who loves real books (I have a Kindle and while I love it I do prefer reading a real paper book).
School issue each child with a library card that enables then to time travel; this is supposed to aid them with their homework but Jodie uses it to explore and collect books. Owing books in 2075 is illegal and can have very serious consequences so when Jodie’s parents find her collection they are not pleased and order her to get rid of them. This sees Jodie get upset and embark on a time travelling adventure starting in China and having to collect a book from Attila the Hun. She also travels to the Titanic, WWII London, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal and more but gets trapped in time with her friends. Will they be able to find their way home?
Overall, Jodie and the Library Card is a great adventure story for children. It teaches about history (in a brief, non-stuffy way) and shows one possible outcome of libraries not being used today and the over-reliance of using eReaders and not real books.
Julie Hodgson was written a great sci-fi adventure story in a very easy to read style. A fun and entertaining story that children, teens and adults will enjoy.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £8.00 (Paperback) / £2.14 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
