Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Amarachi Nwankwo03]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Millers are a lovely family of four. Mr. Miller is a parish priest at the Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas, while his wife works as a civil engineer, designing water systems for the city. They have two children, 10-year-old Mary Grace and her 5-year-old brother Donny. The story picks up when the parents announce that they will be leaving on a mission trip to Kenya. The church in Kenya needed a priest, and the small village they would be assigned to was in the middle of a crisis and had no access to clean drinking water. It was an assignment like no other and one the Miller parents were both honored and scared to take on. They informed the children that they'd be gone for two years and would have to move in with their grandparents in California for the period. As expected, the news does not go well with Mary Grace, who is convinced that her parents are trying to abandon her and her brother. She is sad that her life is going to change in such a drastic way. However, she soon comes along, and they head to California!

Soon after they enroll at a new school, Mary Grace receives threat letters directed at her and Donny. She confides in her grandma, and with the help of her grandma and her unconventional group of friends (the grandma gang!), she tracks down and finds the person behind the letters. Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe captures the thrilling adventures of the super sibling duo in the golden state.

One of the most incredible things about this story is the endearing nature of the Miller family. They are certainly not perfect, but they show that love conquers all. The parents have trained their kids well, and you can see it in their relationship with each other and others. Mary Grace is only ten, but she acts older than her age. She is intelligent, kind, and responsible. Her relationship with Donny is so pure and full of love. She looks out for him constantly and never fails to fill her big sister's shoes. Donny, on the other hand, is a ray of light. Despite having Down syndrome, he has so much joy and happiness to give. There's an infectious positivity that Donny carries around. He was my favorite character. He sure knew how to light up every room. I found it refreshing that the author includes and highlights a character with a disability. Reading this would make you realize that there are not many characters like Donny in books. The author teaches love, empathy, and compassion. Through Donny, she teaches us that one should never judge a book by its cover.

This book also highlights the effect of parental upbringing on how a child turns out. The author shows that kids tend to develop certain negative traits due to childhood trauma, negligence, etc. She also makes us realize that perpetrators could have once been victims themselves and exposes other helpful methods to handle such people. She also teaches that one should be responsible for their actions as some things we do have their consequences. This book is altogether a pleasant read. I did not find a single negative thing about it. It is written simply and is also packed with important lessons. I found no errors while reading this book, proving that it is very well edited.

For the reasons above, I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. Many people would find this moving, light-hearted story enjoyable and easy to digest, but I recommend it to preteens and teens, mainly between the ages of 10 and 15.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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[Mayang Bature]

I appreciate your quick assessment. I recently began reading this book, so I thought it would be helpful to read some reviews beforehand. I'm certain I'll appreciate it just as much as you did.