Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Romeo Aiyabei]

[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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This is an amazing book! Let me start out by saying that I love Donny’s personality. He is so kind and light spirited. He is always finding the positives to things and trying to have a good time. His sister is not always the most positive but Donny is kind of a role model for her in that area. He finds ways to show her how to find the positive parts of their situation. Donny’s sister is an amazing detective and, in the story, her strategies end up solving a mystery. She is also very protective over Donny and she keeps him safe physically and mentally. She always tries to be more positive and happy around him so that he never stops being so positive and happy himself. She also keeps him safe by trying to make sure he doesn't get lost and protecting him from kids who want to hurt him.

Overall, I love how Donny and Mary’s personalities and strengths come together so that they help each other in different areas. Donny teaches his sister to be more positive and find the good in things and Mary protects Donny from harm and protects his innocence and happiness. They have a super close relationship throughout the story and it's very cute and heartwarming to read their interactions with each other. With the major event of the story being the two kids moving to California, the major theme of the story is overcoming hardship and trying to settle into a new place and a new type of life. Their life in California with grandparents is quite different than in Kansas with their parents. I think this book would be great for older kids, like 8-12 year olds, who may be in a similar situation to Donny and Mary. It can teach them that even if it's not all sunshine and rainbows at first, things do get better. This book is also pretty entertaining for teenagers and adults as well! I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 for the amazing story telling, writing, and theme.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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