Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
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Avina
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- Latest Review: Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe
Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure" by Catherine A. Pepe.]
People living with disabilities are frequently underrepresented in children's literature. With Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures, Catherine A. Pepe takes a big step towards correcting this anomaly. The book is about a young boy with Down's syndrome, Donny, and his adventures with his elder sister, Mary Grace. Contrary to misinformed stereotypes, Donny is a bubbly person who leads the life of an average child and is, thus, equally respected.
The book begins with Donny's family visiting the local zoo in Wichita. Donny goes missing at the zoo until his sister finds him. Later, their parents inform them of their missionary calling in Kenya. This development means both children would have to stay with their grandparents in California for the next two years. Though Mary Grace is initially disappointed, their California move turns out to be the bedrock of the story. With help from their teachers, both children settle into their new school. The bullying incident involving Mary Grace slightly marred their adaptation to the new school.
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a good read with many commendable qualities. The first of these is the superb narrative quality of the book, an embodiment of Pepe's writing skills. The sequence of the book is fluid, which I believe would make it an easy read for its young audience. I also like how the author described the characters and places. The word choice was simple enough for children but still engaging enough to keep me interested from start to finish.
The other quality of the book that I think is worthy of mention is how it covers personal relationships. Mary Grace's love for her brother is very touching, and he reciprocates it even better. I also like how both children tolerated their parents' decision to accept the church mission. While some children would have been grumpy, both kids chose to respect the adults while appreciating the logic behind their decision. However, the best of these relationships is that between Donny and his bully. While serving the punishment for his actions, Justin becomes a mature person that understands and respects Donny, thus befriending him.
There is little about the book to earn my negative opinion. The most significant issue I have with the book is its editing. While most of the work is in order, I noticed a few grammatical errors. However, these errors did not affect my reading flow significantly. In addition, I feel the author's choice of an African country as the subject of the church's "rescue" mission subscribes to stereotypes that can affect young readers' perception of Africa.
In conclusion, I rate Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures 4 out of 4 stars because it was an enjoyable read throughout. I like how the author used a child with Down's Syndrome as one of the main characters. I also like the beautiful relationships among the characters. I can not give a lower rating because my problems with the book are not significant enough. Thus, I recommend the book for children between the ages of 5 and 13 to provide them with a foundational understanding of respect in social relationships.
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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
People living with disabilities are frequently underrepresented in children's literature. With Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures, Catherine A. Pepe takes a big step towards correcting this anomaly. The book is about a young boy with Down's syndrome, Donny, and his adventures with his elder sister, Mary Grace. Contrary to misinformed stereotypes, Donny is a bubbly person who leads the life of an average child and is, thus, equally respected.
The book begins with Donny's family visiting the local zoo in Wichita. Donny goes missing at the zoo until his sister finds him. Later, their parents inform them of their missionary calling in Kenya. This development means both children would have to stay with their grandparents in California for the next two years. Though Mary Grace is initially disappointed, their California move turns out to be the bedrock of the story. With help from their teachers, both children settle into their new school. The bullying incident involving Mary Grace slightly marred their adaptation to the new school.
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a good read with many commendable qualities. The first of these is the superb narrative quality of the book, an embodiment of Pepe's writing skills. The sequence of the book is fluid, which I believe would make it an easy read for its young audience. I also like how the author described the characters and places. The word choice was simple enough for children but still engaging enough to keep me interested from start to finish.
The other quality of the book that I think is worthy of mention is how it covers personal relationships. Mary Grace's love for her brother is very touching, and he reciprocates it even better. I also like how both children tolerated their parents' decision to accept the church mission. While some children would have been grumpy, both kids chose to respect the adults while appreciating the logic behind their decision. However, the best of these relationships is that between Donny and his bully. While serving the punishment for his actions, Justin becomes a mature person that understands and respects Donny, thus befriending him.
There is little about the book to earn my negative opinion. The most significant issue I have with the book is its editing. While most of the work is in order, I noticed a few grammatical errors. However, these errors did not affect my reading flow significantly. In addition, I feel the author's choice of an African country as the subject of the church's "rescue" mission subscribes to stereotypes that can affect young readers' perception of Africa.
In conclusion, I rate Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures 4 out of 4 stars because it was an enjoyable read throughout. I like how the author used a child with Down's Syndrome as one of the main characters. I also like the beautiful relationships among the characters. I can not give a lower rating because my problems with the book are not significant enough. Thus, I recommend the book for children between the ages of 5 and 13 to provide them with a foundational understanding of respect in social relationships.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
