Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Rachel Ravello]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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Meet Donny Miller; a precocious five year old who was born with Down's Syndrome and his protective sister Mary Grace. Their parents are about to embark on a two-year missionary trip to Africa, leaving them in the care of Grandma Cathy, of the infamous Grandma Gang and Papa Steve. Armed with his favorite marbles and endless enthusiasm,accompanied by his reluctant sister, Donny and Mary Grace board the airplane leaving Wichita behind for the rustic beauty of their grandparents' farm. So begins Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures: Volume One by Catherine Anna Pepe.

Inspired by her real-life brother Donny who too was born with Down's Syndrome, the author created a magical story in which this special person is portrayed as smart, kind, compassionate and funny. The fictional Donny is also surrounded by an amazingly supportive cast of characters who encourage his zest for life while enabling him to reach his full potential. His sister, Mary Grace, their grandparents, teachers and the rest of the Grandma Gang create a protective shield around him when some a series of nasty incidents arise at their new school. Mary Grace, with the help of these grown ups devise a plan to solve the mystery and punish the perpetrators.

This was a really great start to what I can see as a long-lived series of children's books. As a parent of an autistic son, it made me very happy to see non-neurotypical children portrayed so positively. The entire story was very heartwarming, and the subject was well handled. The character development of the children involved was inspiring to read. The book was easy to read and contained lovely descriptive sentences that painted a beautiful picture of the various people and places. I thought the book was elegantly written and professionally edited. I found no errors or inconsistencies.

For a beautiful story, a wonderful main character and for my son and I who eagerly look forward to the next volume in the series, we give Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures: Volume One 5 out of 5.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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