Review of Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles

[Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles" by Catherine A. Pepe.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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What would you do if you found ugly marbles inside a game? What would you do if those marbles came with an unexpected mystery? This is exactly what happens in Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles by Catherine Anna Pepe. When Donny discovers a package that is addressed to Mrs. Knight, his friend Ed’s mom, he is curious about what is inside the package. Being so close to Ed, and certain he will be fine with Donny opening the package, he decides to do it, despite Mary Grace’s objections. Upon defying his sister and opening the package, Donny discovers a game with ugly marbles, which upsets him, and makes him determined to find some nice marbles to replace them. Donny is a sweet, curious, innocent, and caring child, but no one could have predicted what finding those marbles would cause.

This is the third book in "The Grandma Gang Mystery" series, but it can be perfectly read as a standalone. I loved this book. The author’s writing style is amazing and easy to understand, and her descriptions are so vivid, that the reader can imagine everything that is happening. The book also discusses some important lessons for children, like responsibility, respect, and teamwork. The way the author incorporated those lessons, with more than one example, was amazing. The characters are amazing, they all have different personalities. The plot even made me sad I grew up without brothers, as I never had adventures like the ones Donny and Mary Grace have!

There is nothing negative I can say about the book; the editing was flawless, and the story was exciting. If I were to critique one thing, I would say that the book could benefit from more illustrations or at least adding color to the ones it currently has. This, of course, is a personal preference so I will not deduct any stars from the rating.

Overall, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is one of the best children’s books I’ve read, and it deserves nothing more than a perfect rating. Parents and children will adore Donny and Mary Grace’s adventures.

I recommend this book to children eight and up so they can read it on their own; the lack of illustrations might make younger children get bored easily, but parents and teachers can still add this book to their reading list and help them understand the story.

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Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles
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