The story the “Drummer Boy of Shiloh” by: Ray Bradbury really brought to my attention  the themes ‘strong but innocence’, and ‘motivation leads to bravery’.  The story is about a 14 year old boy named Joby, who ran away to war. I think this story shows strong because he is so young going to war, and he is clueless about what to do. Really what shows strength is all he has is drums. “Me thought the boy, I got only a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield”. I think Joby is lost because he has no protection. To me, I think the drums pacify Joby, really takes stress and things off his mind. It shows innocence because people tend to think, when you go to war you have to be big and bad, and tearless. But that’s wrong! Joby wanted to cry, he thought he was going to die, he was doubting himself. Crying to me shows innocence because it shows the soft side of you. Showing that you are not all tough, tell us that you still have a heart.

As I continued to read the story, I notice that the story contained ‘motivation’, which lead to ‘bravery’. Before the war started, the General spoke to Joby. The General was telling him how he can cry, and that’s ok, ‘I did last night’. This shows that although he is the General he shows his emotions, and he is not all as ‘hard as nails’. The general start talking with Joby ,trying to pacify him. He told Joby that he also cried last night,because he knew that the battle was hard to fight and also he knew that many soldiers would die,but he encourage Joby explaining to him how important was a drummer boy in a battle, what makes Joby strong to be with them.The General’s speech lead to motivation because in the story the General says “ you are the heart of the army”, this to me pushed Joby into the war even more because that quotes means you are what moves us, you are what keeps us alive. I think this puts Joby in a position to where he stays to himself, ‘ I have to do it, I can’t let all these guys down’ This motivates him because without him, there's no them.

The theme ‘motivation lead to bravery’ shows how a speech or phrase, can make someone so ambitious to do something. Also the theme ‘strong but innocence’ shows how you don’t have to be tough troops, you can have a fragile side and not afraid to show it. This short story really was a page-turner, because it made me think that obstacles may get in your way, but they can be conquered sometimes.

One of the books that I have read over the summer was Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. This book had me in tears, this book tells you the theme of how 'everything happens for a reason'. It was a normal day for a thirteen-year old boy Steven Alper, untill a small accident happened in the kitchen, and Jefferey , Steven's little brother, was taken to the emergency room, and was diagnosed with leukemia. Everything changed from here. Just when things got worst, and he needs his parents most of all, his mom has to spend most of her days at the hospital taking care of his brother, and his dad is mostly keeping to himself, not talking to anyone, it was like Steven was not even there, he was also too worried about the bills to spend time with or even talk to his oldest son. The only way to pacify Steven is by playing his drums, letting anger, fear and anxiety out.

At the beginning this story had me thinking about the theme “everything happens for a reason”. Steven and Jefferey were just making some oatmeal for breakfast, untill suddenly Jeffery went on the stool and fell. He was rushed to the  emergency room and later diagnosed with leukemia. This really pushed me aside, and I really asked myself, ‘So if Jefferey didn’t fall off the stool, they would of never known he had leukemia’ , yes, it sounds bad because he has leukemia, but if you think about it closely then maybe it was a good thing they found out now then later.

Towards the ending Steven has  come to realize Jeffrey's illness. Really coming to recognize of how real it actually is example:  "Once I was forced to believe that Jeffrey really had cancer my mind played another big trick on me."What makes this book so come alive is how when Steven goes to school , students would say “how you doing Steven?” , “How Jeffrey?” or “trooper” usually said by his teachers.  It makes the book so real because it tell us readers that this is reality, then going through a situation like this, people care, and want to help.

This book really was a page-turner. Just everything page you read made it more suspense then the other, and it was like you had to finish the book! This book shows the reality of having a love one deal with cancer, and having to go through obstacles just like they are. I love this book because it shows how you may have obstacles in front of you, but you can always conquer them if you find yourself.