Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
Posted: 25 May 2023, 00:56
[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures" by Catherine A. Pepe.]
5-year-old Donny and 10-year-old Mary Grace face a big change in their lives when their parents decide to serve as missionaries in Africa. The two children must move across the country to live with their grandparents in Santa Barbara, California, for the next two years. Donny is a happy child with Down’s syndrome and looks forward to living with his grandparents. However, Mary Grace is more reluctant to relocate to California and has a harder time settling in at the start.
Donny and Mary Grace’s California Adventures: A Grandma Gang Mystery is the first book of the Grandma Gang Mysteries series by Catherine A. Pepe. In this book, readers meet a cast of interesting characters, including all three members of the Grandma Gang who helped the police solve the 7-Eleven mystery. One of these members happens to be Grandma Cathy. The Grandma Gang works with Mary Grace to solve a pressing mystery that’s affecting her personally at school.
I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how the children handled the changes and challenges that came with such a major change in their lives. I liked how the author covered some important issues, such as bullying, and presented the experiences of someone with special needs.
I can’t think of anything negative about this children’s book. I thought it was a heart-warming story with an interesting mystery that celebrated children with Down’s syndrome and special needs. It was interesting how the book is dedicated to the author’s younger brother, the “real” Donny, who had a daily mantra that “today is the best day of my life!” and a very positive personality. The author notes that the book is fiction, but some events and characters were inspired by real people and incidents. It’s also lovely to know that 10% of the net proceeds from the book are donated to the Special Olympics.
I am very pleased to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a wonderful children’s book that celebrates our individual differences and teaches important life lessons about being kind to others. I thought this book was a great introduction to the characters and the series. The book was also professionally edited, as I only noticed one error.
I recommend this book to all children, as it has an interesting mystery and discusses important issues such as bullying and including people with special needs.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
5-year-old Donny and 10-year-old Mary Grace face a big change in their lives when their parents decide to serve as missionaries in Africa. The two children must move across the country to live with their grandparents in Santa Barbara, California, for the next two years. Donny is a happy child with Down’s syndrome and looks forward to living with his grandparents. However, Mary Grace is more reluctant to relocate to California and has a harder time settling in at the start.
Donny and Mary Grace’s California Adventures: A Grandma Gang Mystery is the first book of the Grandma Gang Mysteries series by Catherine A. Pepe. In this book, readers meet a cast of interesting characters, including all three members of the Grandma Gang who helped the police solve the 7-Eleven mystery. One of these members happens to be Grandma Cathy. The Grandma Gang works with Mary Grace to solve a pressing mystery that’s affecting her personally at school.
I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how the children handled the changes and challenges that came with such a major change in their lives. I liked how the author covered some important issues, such as bullying, and presented the experiences of someone with special needs.
I can’t think of anything negative about this children’s book. I thought it was a heart-warming story with an interesting mystery that celebrated children with Down’s syndrome and special needs. It was interesting how the book is dedicated to the author’s younger brother, the “real” Donny, who had a daily mantra that “today is the best day of my life!” and a very positive personality. The author notes that the book is fiction, but some events and characters were inspired by real people and incidents. It’s also lovely to know that 10% of the net proceeds from the book are donated to the Special Olympics.
I am very pleased to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a wonderful children’s book that celebrates our individual differences and teaches important life lessons about being kind to others. I thought this book was a great introduction to the characters and the series. The book was also professionally edited, as I only noticed one error.
I recommend this book to all children, as it has an interesting mystery and discusses important issues such as bullying and including people with special needs.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I also liked the story+the real life inspired characters.
there were so many things to like about this book