Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Stephen Muthini]

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

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe is a story of how two siblings deal with change after they are forced to relocate and live with their grandparents due to their parent’s work. The younger of the siblings, who has Down syndrome, is quick to adjust to the new life, but his sister faces more struggles in adjusting. She faces loneliness after starting a new school, and as soon as she starts to form new friendships, there is a bully who keeps sending her notes that are mean and threatening, with each note being meaner and more threatening than the previous one. How can she deal with the threat? Can she tell her teachers and grandparents and risk being teased, or should she solve the issue on her own?

I liked how the author was able to develop and tell the story of his life in an interesting way that makes the book enjoyable and captivates the interest of the reader from the first page to the last. The story is able to capture the suspense of both children and adults and could provide good reading material for children and adults to bond over. The story also teaches children some important lessons, particularly how to recognize and deal with bullying as well as how to treat people who have disabilities. The book could also be used as a basis for discussion about bullying, freedom of speech and its limits, and disability between parents and children. I believe adults can benefit from reading the book, especially about how to deal with the disappointment their children might face and how to correct their children when they do something that is wrong.

There was nothing to hate about this book. I really enjoyed reading it.

I, therefore, rate Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe a 5 out of 5. This perfect rating can be justified by the fact that the story is interesting to read and the content is educational for child book lovers.

The book is well suited for children between eight and 12 years of age, and it could be a great bonding material between children and their parents. Teenagers and adults could as well enjoy the story, but the language used is more suited for younger readers. The language used is simple and easy to understand, and the story is both interesting and highly educational. I would therefore recommend the book for parents and preteens as a bonding material.

******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon