The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger in 1951, is a book about the adventures of Holden Caulfield, a schoolboy, who is the narrator in this novel. We meet him after he has been kicked out of his latest school, Pencey Prep. This unusual and slightly unorthodox account follows Holden one December, as he ventures home for Christmas and the difficulties he faces along the way. From falling out with his roommates and spending his money in a very lax manner to meeting up with old friends and trying to please his sister, this three-day trip home from Pencey is certainly packed with emotion and action. I won’t spoil for anyone who hasn't read this book so far, but suffice is to say profanity is abundant and there are many intriguing twists and turns in this idiosyncratic novel.

   Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor by Sally and Chips Barber

This short non-fiction book will reveal a more sinister to Dartmoor in Devon, an innocent-looking corner of Britain. With its beautiful hills and gentle rolling countryside, Dartmoor seems a picture perfect holiday destination with over 8 million tourists visiting every year. However, by delving into “Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor”, as the title may suggest, you will unearth the ominous tales that haunt this fascinating National Park; one like no others, with myths hanging heavy in the air and legends coursing through every stream.

In this enthralling book, Sally and Chips Barber tell intimidating tales from every corner of Dartmoor, with particular favourites including, Childe the Hunter, Bowerman’s Nose, The Hairy Hands and Kitty Jay. From high tors to low valleys, barren moors to stunning villages, Dartmoor is full of myths and legends and, despite looking spectacular at a glance, it has an abundance of mysterious stories set to get the mind boggling and the heart pumping.

Read … if you dare!!

              Summer Reading Record

Week Beginning	What I Read
30th June	The Shade of Hettie Daynes The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
7th July	The Shade of Hettie Daynes The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
14th July	The Shade of Hettie Daynes The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express The Giant’s Necklace
21st July	The Giant’s Necklace The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
28th July	The Catcher in the Rye Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
4th August	The Catcher in the Rye The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
11th August	The Catcher in the Rye The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express Animals, the Encyclopoedia
18th August	The Catcher in the Rye The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express
25th August	The Catcher in the Rye The Shuttle The Express and Star The Daily Express

Five Generations on One Family

Generation Game

I found this amazing story in both The Shuttle and The Daily Express.

Elleah-Jayne Knight-Holmes was born on 8th July 2014 at 10:40am in a car on the A449. Little does she know that her birth has meant that there are five living female generations in her family. This is a repeat of 1987 when her auntie's birth meant the same thing happened. The women are her mother, Katie Arens, her auntie, Amy Conway, her grandmother, Laura Wycherley, her great grandmother, Glenda Brown and her great great grandmother, Jean Hore, who is 89. Katie Arens said, "If her arrival is anything to go by, we can expect her to be a little madam."

The Giant's Necklace by Michael Morpurgo

         The Giants Necklace by Michael Morpurgo

This entrancing Michael Morpurgo story will grip you and relieve you of your ability to put a book down.

Cherry and her family go away to the Eagle's Nest in Cornwall every year. On one particular occasion, she decides to make a necklace out of cowrie shells and a fishing line for a giant. When her family go down to the beach on the penultimate day of their holiday, Cherry uses this as an opportunity to collect shells to complete her necklace. She gets engrossed looking for the shells, but forgets her parents' warnings to be home by dark and finds herself in danger when a violent storm surges in.

When she finally realises, it is too late; this storm transports her to a different world. As she attempts to find her way home, she stumbles across a familiar mine shaft and discovers two miners hard at work who reveal mesmerising tales of this mine's past.

I won't spoil it for any of you who have not read this story, but needless to say the ending will send a shiver down your spine and place a tear in your eye as the irony of the ending dawns on you.

Soldier is Presented with Military Cross

Patrick Hyde, also known as the 'Bomb Magnet' has been             Awarded the Military Cross by Prince Charles

Patrick Hyde after the explosion, being presented with the award by Prince Charles and with the Military Cross

I discovered this truly inspirational story in the Daily Express on Saturday 12th July 2014.

Warrant Officer Class 1 Patrick Hyde, 38, from Cheltenham, was presented with the Military Cross by Prince Charles , after an Afghan soldier stepped on an improvised explosive device. He won the award last August after the "horrific" blast. Patrick Hyde entered the compound to rescue the soldier due to fear that it was a bomb trap. His citation said: "As he entered a compound, a huge explosion engulfed him. Wounded by shrapnel and in shock ... he seized the initiative to enforce an evacuation of the injured, the General and his men from the compound." He has been blown up 17 times, earning him the tag 'Bomb Magnet'.  After receiving his award, he said "There's no lucky charm ... I'm just fortunate enough to be alive."

The Shade of Hettie Daynes by Robert Swindells

The Shade of Hettie Daynes by Robert Swindells ... A Truly Soul-Stirring Read

With dark, eerie imagery on the front cover, and highly complementary comments on the back cover, I was attracted to this novel instantly. But what about the content itself?

This book, aimed at older children or young adults, is Robert Swindells' novel telling the slightly chilling story of Hettie Daynes and her ghost. When Harry and Bethan hear about the ghost that apparently haunts their local reservoir, Wilton Water, they are obviously, like most younger children, desperate to make this their latest 'adventure'. They want to discover why she stands there as a pale figure floating over the reservoir with one finger pointing downwards.

Harry and Bethan, along with their friends, Rob and Alison, want to get to the bottom of this local legend, and unearth why, 100 years on from her death, she haunts these waters. But when their mother reveals an unexpected tale, are they going to go against her wishes to discover the reason behind it?

Within an instant I was hooked, unable to put this book down, due to its unsettling nature. Although I do not wish to spoil it for you, I will reveal that there is a very unnerving twist at the end.