Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure

[Victoria Ukamaka]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure" by Catherine A. Pepe.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine Anna Pepe is a seventeen-chapter book about a ten-year-old girl, Mary Grace, and her brother Donny. Donny is her little brother who has Down syndrome.

As humans, we sometimes find it quite challenging to let go of familiar things, such as our friends or environment. People are usually resistant to change. This resistance to change was what Mary Grace was reacting to when her parents told her that they were going to leave their perfect lives in Wichita, Kansas. Her parents were going off on missionary work for two years, which would affect the family immensely. She thought about her school, which she was already familiar with, all her friends in Wichita, and her family's frequent visits to the Sedgwick County Zoo. Leaving all these behind to stay with her grandparents in California saddened her. Will she ever be comfortable in California? Will she and Donny be able to cope without their parents for that long period? You will have to read Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure to find out.

The book had many positive aspects, one of them being its incredible character building. Each character was built solidly such that the reader could relate to them at different levels. For instance, Mary Grace is such an intelligent and thoughtful young girl with an added sense of humor. She is very good at figuring things out. She couldn't understand many things as a child, but she is considerate of people. Her character reminded me of my childhood friend, who was so free-spirited and caring. I also love how happy the character of Donny is. I learned from this book that people with disabilities can lead a happy life as long as they have the full support of their families and friends. Donny, despite his condition, is such a happy and cheerful child. His positivity is contagious. I love the way his family maintains that positivity around him.

The way Catherine Anna Pepe represented children's jealousy and bullying is fantastic! She was so right. Children are sometimes jealous if a friend of theirs is trying to be friends with another person. They sometimes want their friends all to themselves. The author perfectly represented this scenario. The book also modeled teachers who were caring and invested in the well-being and growth of their students. These teachers knew their students' capabilities and how to care for them based on their different needs. I think teachers and aspiring teachers should read this book. There is a lot to learn from it. The way the teachers at North Elementary School handled a case of bullying and threats was spectacular. Children are delicate, both the bullies and the bullied. Sometimes, bullies are children going through some neglect or awful things themselves. As stated in this book, "sometimes bullies and troublemakers are just kids who lack self-confidence. They are afraid others will hurt them, so they lash out first. " Handling a case of bullying in such a way that it helps save both the bully and the bullied is the best approach. I commend the author for how she has represented many other sensitive situations in this book. I could not find anything to dislike in Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure, as the reading experience was seamless and easy. I could also relate to the character at different points. For the above reasons, I give it a 4 out of 4 stars.

This is a good book for children and teenagers. It is a book that teaches children to accommodate others with disabilities. It will be easy for children who read this book to think of it as their favorite book because they will love to be as smart as Mary Grace and aspire to be as happy and positive as Donny. In addition, it seems to be professionally edited, as I found no errors while reading it.

I recommend this book to teachers. They could use it to teach their pupils and students. It is safe for teaching as it is free of profane words. They have a lot to learn from it themselves. Teenagers and adults will also find it interesting.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
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[Christabel Egbeama]

I love the relationship Mary Grace had with Donny. I also love the concept of Catherine Anna Pepe in this book, by including troubling attitudes that bothers kids of this generation. Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure was a great read.

[Ozioma Miriam]

I would like to read this book to know the answers asked in your review. Mary Grace's story sounds interesting. Nice review

[Adaeze Joan]

I totally agree with you, people with disabilities can lead a happy life as long as they have the full support of their families and friends. This book seems like an interesting one with heartwarming themes. I would love to read it. Great job on the review.

[Isaac Oh]

I love that this book brought back old childhood memories. I would love to grab a copy to find out more. Great job on this one.

[Margi zuu202]

I love this book well written and reviewed

[Ifesi]

I have seen movies with this plot. While reading, I kept imagining the story in my head. Very funny. Amazing review.

[Shillah Andeso]

I also enjoyed this book. With the lessons and the plot, this is a good guide for children and also a good book for adults to read. It doesn't fail in incorporating morals in the society.

[Adrian Rondon Salazar]

I'm interested in knowing more about Donny. It's perfect that his family supports him, that's what society needs.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I love the relationship Mary Grace had with Donny. I also love the concept of Catherine Anna Pepe in this book, by including troubling attitudes that bothers kids of this generation. Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure was a great read.

The author sure did great by including those troubling attributes. One could easily relate with them as they were common things we experienced as children.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I would like to read this book to know the answers asked in your review. Mary Grace's story sounds interesting. Nice review

It is an interesting book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I totally agree with you, people with disabilities can lead a happy life as long as they have the full support of their families and friends. This book seems like an interesting one with heartwarming themes. I would love to read it. Great job on the review.

Thank you for your nice comment. While reading, I sometimes even forgot that Donny had a disability because of how included he was in the family's activities. The aura of the family matched his positivity. I wish every child with disability can be treated with that kind of love.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I love that this book brought back old childhood memories. I would love to grab a copy to find out more. Great job on this one.

You should sure grab a copy. I hope you enjoy it too. Thank you for stopping by.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I love this book well written and reviewed

Thank you for your nice comment. The book was well written and I could relate to it.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

I have seen movies with this plot. While reading, I kept imagining the story in my head. Very funny. Amazing review.

It is a very relatable plot. All of children's shenanigans. Thank you for your comment.