Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures

[Kenechukwu Okoye]

[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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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine Anna Pepe is a children's book. The book is about two siblings, Donny Miller, who has Down syndrome as a five-year-old, and his ten-year-old sister, Mary Grace. The parents of the two children were asked by the church and the World Health Organization to go to Kenya in Africa as missionaries. The children were to move from Wichita to California and stay with their grandparents, while their parents were to move to Kenya in Africa and stay there for two years.

The news was hard for Mary Grace to bear, but it appeared that Donny didn't feel bad about it, probably because he had Down syndrome and was always positive in almost any situation. Finally, Mary Grace accepted the fact that she and her brother were to move to California, attend a new school, and make new friends. How well will Donny and Mary Grace adapt to their new home and new school?

I like many aspects of this book. Of course, this is a great read. I was very keen while reading this story. One interesting thing that is portrayed in the narrative is the determination of the parents to fulfill the task. I believe that the couples believed that the children would be well taken care of at the hands of Grandma Cathy and Papa Steve. Such trust can only be developed if the parents are on good terms with Grandma Cathy and Papa Steve. Despite having Down syndrome, Donny always beamed with positivity. Mary Grace's character made the narrative much more educational. I read this like I watched a movie, thanks to the author's writing style. This book also teaches what it feels like when a child tries to adapt to a new environment, especially a new school.

I don't dislike anything about this book. I didn't notice any errors while reading this book, which shows it was exceptionally well-edited.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for the reasons I mentioned above. I recommend this book to parents and children for the educational reasons I mentioned above.

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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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