Drummer Boy of Shiloh

In the Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist Joby faces many challenges in the story. I myself have been through what he has been through. These challenges that Joby faces changes him throughout the story like I did in my life.
   
At the beginning of the story, Joby was terrified of entering a battle he wasn't ready for. He was nervous and worried and thought he couldn't do it. He was the youngest soldier there who wasn't ready to fight. He even started to cry because he didn't feel like part of the war. Joby didn't even want to be involved. I personally wouldn't want to be involved in a battle if I was as young as Joby.

"If he stayed very still, when the dawn came up and the soldiers put on their bravery with their caps, perhaps they might go away, the war with them, and not notice him living small here, no more than a toy himself." This is a quote from the story, which makes me think that Joby feels as if he is just a toy and not human. No life, and no action, just useless. 

 In my life I have changed a lot as well. I would never have thought my life would be as the way it is right now. I was an outgoing girl when I was younger. Now I am not as outgoing as I was before. I didn't care if I was loud, or  what people thought of me, but now I do. I get nervous, scared, and worried. And just like Joby, I cry.

As the story went on and the general came along, he motivated Joby to be a part of the battle and be involved. As for me, I feel confident when someone motivates me as well, I feel stronger. The general  helped Joby out of his fears, and Joby was now confident as ever, and was determined to lead the other soldiers into the battle and be the Drummer Boy of Shiloh.

This is how Joby changed throughout the story, and how I changed as well. 

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The book It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini is about a boy named Craig Gilner, who is depressed. The idea of the story to me is very interesting because Craig isn't the happy boy he was before. There are many differences between me and my protagonist Craig. Some of the differences are stated below.
     
 One way Craig and I are different, is that he doesn't enjoy life when I do. Craig just hides himself in the bathroom when it's dark, and the lights are turned off. That's his way of peace. being alone and trapped in the bathroom.He also thinks peeing is great, and that it's something his body has to do. I don't think being in the bathroom is peaceful. Nor the dark. And both of them combined, no way.
     
The second way Craig and I are different is that Craig thinks life is a nightmare. His dreams are where he wants to stay most of the time. He doesn't think life is amazing, or fun. Even if his dreams were a nightmare, he would consider it better than life. I think that's pretty crazy. I am glad to wake up every morning to start a new day, when he isn't.
     
The third way Craig and I are different is that he is always depressed and never has a smile on his face. He has to go to shrinks which are kind of like guidance counselors, to express his feelings. And it is pretty much all the same things like not enjoying life, or life being a nightmare. But towards the end of the book, he tried to enjoy life more, and it worked. He kept a hold of a job, he drew, he ran, he went home and enjoyed himself being alive once again like his childhood. But I have never been depressed for a long period of time, and then started to enjoy life again, when Craig has.
     
 I don't really understand why Craig has to be so depressed, he has friends who like him and want to spend time with him. Also a loving Mother who takes care of him. These are the reasons on why Craig and I are different stated above.

Are You Replaced?

The book The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, was a very interesting book. I have never read anything like it before. The book is unusual, and has a mystery to it. Mackie Doyle the main character in the book isn't a normal teenage boy hanging out with his friends or going to parties, in fact he has to be forced to be out by his friends. To me Mackie is very strange, he doesn't act like a normal boy, but he tries too, which  makes it worse because people always asks him why is he acting so weird and if everything is okay.
     
 Mackie was a replacement of a real boy about 16 years ago, coming from a world of puddles and dark tunnels, which is called the Underground world of Gentry. As I read the book, I had many questions like "Why do the parents of Mackie still accept the fact that he is not a full human, but a half human and half demon?" Mackie is allergic to many things that are important in the human world such as iron and blood, so its really hard for him to cooperate with it. As the book went on, Mackie started feeling uncomfortable and tired everyday, and the reason he was feeling that way was because he was dying. Yes... dying. This replacement of a baby 16 years ago, was dying. His skin was turning pale and he felt dizzy and just couldn't work with anything.
      
As for Emma, Mackie's younger sister is a happy person who is just like a normal girl, until... she finds out that Mackie is dying. She does whatever she could to make him all better again and make him live. She finds out about it by her friend that usually comes over to her house. She knows that he is a replacement, and exactly where he comes from which is the underground world of Gentry. Emma is courageous because it takes a lot of courage to go to a world where your not from, especially if its full of demons and dead people walking around. Emma gets this little drink for Mackie in order for him to stay alive. But, Mackie has to do many things to keep Emma away from danger from the demons.  I think of Emma as a sweet girl because she accepts Mackie knowing he is a replacement of her real baby brother 16 years ago.
      
The Replacement is a very good book, and I think many people would enjoy the book as much as I did. It is filled with many details that make me want to read the book even more. Everyone should read how "Mackie is an outsider, even in his own home."