Drummer Boy of Shiloh

          In the short story "Drummer boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, is a short story about a 14 year old boy named Joby who is a drummer boy in the civil war. In the beginning, Joby wakes up to beautiful blossoms and wonderful orchard trees surrounding him, but it was yet just another day in war. Men in Shiloh were going out to fight for their loved ones, their country. But for Joby it was just another day when he would play his drum. Throughout the story, Joby presented himself as a character who thought that controlling the drum and two drumsticks wasn't enough. Joby underestimated himself a lot, because he thought hitting a drum at a war didn't matter a bit.
        Joby never took pride in the work he did, or the effort he put into playing his drum every single day. He had very low self-esteem that he brought to playing the drum every single day. Joby felt that a drum wasn't going to protect him. Joby constantly felt as if the drum wasn't going to give him another day to live, or another breath to breath. To Joby, a drum wasn't a shield that would protect him from the gun wounds. I think, Joby doesn't realize that the role he plays in the army, is what holds the whole army together. It's all like a game of blocks, you lose one block, and everything is uneven. Or, you can pull out a block, and that can make everything fall done and be misplaced. If Joby quits his job, and stops playing his drum, then the whole army would be out of place. I think that Joby is way to caught up in believing that all the army men keep the army together, and that his drum is just another instrument that nobody enjoys hearing. Joby doesn't understand that his drum isn't just another instrument, it's really the center piece of the army, that plays a very big role as well.
     All of Joby's thoughts, and opinions change when the general of the army wants to talk to him. Joby always saw the general as a father figure, because of the way he smelled: salt- sweat, tobacco, horse and boot leathers, and the earth he walked upon. The general's knees cracked as he stepped closer, and he had many brass buttons that continuously watched Joby. Joby always took whatever the general had to say to heart, because the general was always the one to make Joby feel as if he belonged to this army. The general makes Joby feel as if he plays a huge part of their army by saying "You are the heart of the army", and "Do you know now that you're general of the army when the general's left behind?" I think Joby finally understands and sees where the general is coming from. The general could related to Joby in many ways, he was also once a drummer boy at the battle of Owl Creek, and he understands how Joby feels because he walked in his shoes once.The general went from being a drummer boy to the general of the army, so he is trying to inspire Joby and explain to him that everything is possible. I feel like Joby is slowly starting to understand that he helps hold all those soldiers fighting in the war together, and that he is the heart of the army. What I personally think the author meant by saying "you are the heart of the army" is that Joby keeps the whole army together moving steadily. Your heart keeps your entire system moving. If there was no hear then no living thing would be alive today. By the general saying that Joby is the "heart of the army" is a metaphor that stands for the fact that Joby helps the army move together, and just concentrate on the war.
           In the end of the book, Joby gains back all the self esteem that was hidden in his heart. Joby realizes that his job is as important as any job out there. I think that part that showed Joby's true colors, and him finally believing in himself and finally gaining back all his confidence is when, "Joby lied for for a moment staring, but unable to see where the man had gone. He swallowed . He wiped his eyes. He cleared his throat. He settled himself. Then, at last, very slowly and firmly he turned the drum so it faced up toward the sky. Jody went from absolutely underestimating himself and his job as the drummer boy, to becoming appreciative of the role he plays in the army, and his drum.

I so don't do Spooky!

   The book I so don't do Spooky by Barrie Summy, was a very interesting book, with a lot of meaning. Sherry Holmes Baldwin, a teenage girl, whose spent her entire life living with her father, brother, and mother. A couple of years ago, when her mom went on duty to stop a drug dealer, that would be the last time she would ever see her mom. Ms.Baldwin a cop died in a line of duty, because she was shot by the drug dealer, and that day had brought Sherry to absolute hell. Losing a mother is like someone is stabbing you in the heart over, and over. Losing a mother is like someone ripping a piece of your heart off, and that ripped piece will never heal again.
      A year ago, Sherry got a new stepmother which was also her social studies teacher. She had to live up to the fact that every single day she would wake up to seeing her, and every single night she would be kissing her goodnight. It was tough for Sherry to get used to another women cooking dinner in front of the stove her mom cooked at, it was tough to see Paula sitting at the same seat her mom used to sit at, at the dinner table. It was really frustrating and hard to acknowledge that there's a new women in the house, who took the place of her mom.
      The plot begins, as Sherry is sitting at her backyard, where she spends most of her days after her mothers death, beacause that is where her mother loved to be most at. Sherry jumps at the sounds of branches rattling, and the scent of coffee right beside her, When the figure settles, Sherry realizes that her mom is a ghost, and only she can see, hear, and feel her. Sherry as joyful and happy to be reunited with her mom again, learns that there is a task she must help her with. Sherry's mom joined the Academy of Spirits an organization where ghosts reunite with their children, who help them solve mysteries in order to actually see their children whom they missed.
     The task is to find out who is the stalker of Sherry's stepmother Paula. Someone has been following her around, and pulling pransk outside of the house. As in leaving a dangerous knife in a bush, and trying to kill one of Sherry's fish. Sherry goes through a lifetime of obstactles. Since Paula is a leader of a robotics team, Sherry decided to join the opponent team and see if the stalker is in that group. Shrry tries to gather up all the clues necessary to finding her step-moms stalker.
     However, If Sherry and her mom find the stalker at their specific due date, then Sherry would have 5 minutes of REAL time with her mom. And if not, then she may never hear her mom's beauitful kind voice, and she may never see her again.
         I thought the book I so Don't do spooky, is a very engaging book. Once you open the book you get stuck trying to figure out whom the stalker really is. I thought Sherry is a hard worker. She stayed up days and nights trying to glue all the clues together. Sherry is a true beleiver, she was given a task and her main goal was to accomplish it because, Sherry's biggest wish is to have a moment with her mom, a moment she never really shared with her mom, because her mom was always busy at her duties. Sherry wanted to tell her mom all her emotions, to tell her how much she loved her, because she never did. Sherry kept all those hidden feelings, thoughts, pain, everything inside for over 12 years. She never had time to have a mother-and daughter moment with her mom, and now she's finally given 5 minutes to let her mom know everything. 5 minutes can really change a lot.
     Sherry went through a lot while trying to discover the identity of the person whom is Paula's stalker. She gave up times she could've spent with her boyfriend, friends, to get to see her mom, and solve the mystery so Paula could be safe from any type of danger. After reading this book I learned that if you ever want to accomplish something, you have to keep your head held high. And sometimes you have to give up on the most important things you've held on to for so long, just to finish what you started. At the end, it's all worth it because all your risks payed off.
     Sherry can keep anyone addicted to this book. It's her passion, her kindness, and her faith, that help her accomplish the hardest things. I so Don't do Spooky, is a book that you have to read. I suggest it to fiction lovers, and mystery lovers.

WARNING: Once you start this book, you will never want to put it down!