Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Gillian Walter]

[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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Children don't always like changes, especially those changes that separate them from their parents. This is why I pity those children forced by circumstances to go into foster homes. However, going to a foster home was not what happened to Donny and Mary Grace. Instead, they had to live with their grandparents for two years while their parents went on a missionary journey to Africa. Hence this story, Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures, by Catherine A. Pepe.

Mary Grace's parents told her they needed to talk. This scared Mary Grace because she thought they were going to announce something as tragic as getting a divorce. But it turned out it wasn't a divorce but something she deemed similar. Her parents were planning to leave them to go on a missionary journey to Africa. They couldn't go with them because where they were going was not conducive. Now Mary Grace had to leave Kansas for California. Of course, this saddened her. However, Donny, ever a happy child, always found reasons around him to make himself and other people smile. Will his cheerfulness help Mary Grace accept their situation a little more?

This book did a good job of detailing children's feelings about sudden changes. I could feel Mary Grace's sadness, frustration, and even anger at her parents. It took a while for her to adjust. But thanks to her grandparents, their dog, Donny, her new friends, and the Grandma Gang, Mary Grace began to like California better. Her grandparents were good with children. They tried not to force anything on Mary Grace. They found subtle ways to cheer her up when her mood was down. For example, her grandma told the dog, Kruger, to go sit beside Mary Grace when she looked sadly out of the window.

The only thing I disliked was the poor diagrammatic illustration. Making the pictures colorful would have made them more lively and appealing to readers, no matter their age group. Aside from this, I enjoyed the story of the Grandma Gang. They played a huge role in helping Mary Grace. It was their intrigue in solving mysteries that started engaging Mary Grace. The book was divided into chapters, and each chapter started where the other stopped. The stories were written in explicit detail. It taught important lessons to children. The characters were very identifiable.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I found no errors. It was exceptionally well-edited. Despite the lack of colorful pictures, the book was interesting. It has a wide audience, ranging from young children to adults. There's even intrigue and suspense in it. These are rare themes that are not always found in children's books. I recommend this book to adults who enjoy a relaxing read. I also recommend it to children who can read and understand the book.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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[Zillionaire_me]

Children's book are always interesting to read as far as I am concerned.
I like Mary Grace's character and the part she played in the book.
I would love to read to the end.
Thanks for your review.

[EBERE WRITES COCEPT]

This sounds like a heart-touching story. I'm curious to know how Mary Grace and Donny will cope with their grandmother. Thanks for the intriguing review.

[Achor Chinemerem]

One of the best children's books I've ever read. Such an intriguing storyline. Thank you for the review.

[Oluwa Tomisin]

I agree with you and you're right that most children don't like to be separated from their parents.
I'm glad Mary Grace and Donny's separation from their parent wasn't because of a divorce.