Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Gavice Victoria]

[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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Donny and Mary Grace's parents were going away to serve as missionaries in Africa. For the period they will be away, the kids will stay with their grandparents in California. The kids had no idea that California had adventures in store for them. Donny is eager to play with their dogs, Toby and Krug, enjoy time with Grandma Cathy and Papa Steve, and live on the ranch. However, Mary Grace is miserable about the whole plan. She will have to forfeit her last year at Hartland Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas, along with her friends and all of her favorite activities. So what sort of adventure is waiting for them in California? Will Mary Grace adjust to the new changes? I believe there is only one way to find out: by reading Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine Anna Pepe.

The novel has so many wonderful qualities, and I really enjoyed it. First of all, due to the author's narrative style, the book is very simple to understand, and the intended readers will have no trouble following it and learning from it. Her use of italicization to emphasize certain words was one aspect of her storytelling style that I admired. As I read, I tried to picture the author's thoughts to understand their purpose better. Second, the character development is fantastic. Each character has a strong foundation, allowing the reader to identify with them on several levels. Mary Grace is a wonderful young lady who also has a great sense of humor. She excels at deducing solutions. She resented some of her parents' choices when she was younger, but she handled the matter well. I have to admit that this story won me over because of how the author developed Mary Grace's personality. I also adore Donny's upbeat disposition.

This book taught me that people with disabilities can still live happy lives if they have the support of their friends and family. Despite having Down syndrome, Donny is such a joyful and upbeat kid. His optimism spreads quickly. I adore how his family keeps things lively for him. I kept on smiling while I was reading this book. I was pleased with the way bullying was handled at Mary Grace's new California school. I adore the committed attention provided to youngsters that require particular care. I admired how Donny never allowed his enthusiasm to falter. There are numerous lessons throughout the book. Not judging a book by its cover is one of the teachings in this book. I adored how practically every chapter of the book had a lesson. The author's portrayal of her characters was fantastic. For instance, Mary Grace acted and reacted like other kids her age would.

Despite being a children's book, adults can also read and enjoy it. Catherine Anna Pepe beautifully narrated a tale of a pleasant childhood for both Donny and Mary Grace. I'd be happy to recommend Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine Anna Pepe to anyone who enjoys a well-written and well-structured book.

There was nothing about this book that I disliked. For the above reasons, I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The book had no grammatical or spelling errors, which is a testament that it was exceptionally well edited.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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[Chimereucheya Okoroafo]

This was a really enjoyable story. I liked having to see the best of the kids emotions. Donny was a sweet little kid but sometimes I wonder where Down syndrome comes from. Nice review.

[Chimdik Chimezi]

Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe tells the story of a husband and wife that went on missionary work to Africa, leaving behind their kids for the grandparents. This book has great lessons for parents.

[Janet Kimetto]

This is a great book. I loved Donny, and I also loved the way bullying was handled in the story, among other things. Thanks for your review!

[Wash William]

I love the fact that you were able to learn from a children's book. That is to say that the main audience (children) has a moral-filled book that they would read for development. Thanks for the review.

[Chukwuemeka Ezema]

I like the fact that the author used this book to create awareness for Down syndrome; this is a disability that a lot of people don't know about. Great review.

[Famzi Ken]

I like children's books, and this one looks and sounds interesting. Donny and Mary-Grace are fascinating characters I'd like to read about. Great review.

[Famzi Ken]

I like children's books, and this one looks and sounds interesting. Donny and Mary-Grace are fascinating characters I'd like to read about. Great review.

[Ambrose John]

This book expresses how bullying circumstances can be handled. I like that the author took the initiative to address this menace that's eating our kids up.

[Amandaruth Ama]

I love how well you have written this review. It brought out the best in the book and made me interested in it. I have actually picked this book to read. I hope I will love it as much as you did.

[Opara Jerry]

I like adventure stories that involve kids especially when they use a lot of their imagination. It’s something one can make other stories from and tell kids when putting them in bed. I might not have time to read this book but I’ll be sure to recommend it to people I know who will.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine Anna Pepe is the best children's book I have read this year. The author is a talented writer and she depicted the case of bullying very well in the book. There are a lot of morals for children to learn from this book. Also, I love this review!

[Victoria Ukamaka]

This was a really enjoyable story. I liked having to see the best of the kids emotions. Donny was a sweet little kid but sometimes I wonder where Down syndrome comes from. Nice review.

Donny was such a sweet character. I especially loved his positivity towards life. I also love the way Mary Grace puts Donny's needs first. She is such a caring sister and Donny is her priority. By the way, I think Down Syndrome is neurological.

[Victoria Ukamaka]

Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine Anna Pepe is the best children's book I have read this year. The author is a talented writer and she depicted the case of bullying very well in the book. There are a lot of morals for children to learn from this book. Also, I love this review!

[ometanoghenetejiri]

This children's book seems to be very inspiring. Showing how positive a disabled person can be and how the role of the family helps one with disability is an interesting feature of this book.
Nice review.