Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure

[Ailakhu Yusau Aizhebiomon]

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

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine A. Pepe is an adventurous children's book about Mary Grace and her younger brother, Donny. The author was inspired to write this book by living with Donny, who had Down syndrome and the rest of her family members. While the story is fictional, some of the incidences are the author's personal experiences.

Mary Grace and Donny's Dad, Mr. Miller, is a priest and rector at St. James Episcopal Church for more than ten years and; Mrs. Miller, their Mum, is a civil engineer. Mr. Miller was transferred to Kenya on a mission by the Episcopal Church. Mrs. Miller had to travel with him to assist the African country with clean water being a civil engineer. Mary Grace and her younger brother, Donny, also travelled to California to live with Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Steve. How were they able to cope with the new environment, new school and new friends? Was Donny stigmatized because of his disability? The answers to these questions are in the book Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine A. Pepe.

There are so many positive aspects of this book. However, I must first admit that I had an enjoyable experience reading this book; this is because of the storyline of the book and the characterization. In addition, the moral lessons I found in this book are invaluable.

Another thing that fascinates me about this book is how the author paid attention to details. For instance, the author wrote: 'Grandma Cathy went into her kitchen and grabbed her cell phone, then, came back to the living room with it. She scrolled through her saved numbers until she found the one Ms. Root had given her and pressed the button to make the call.'

There is absolutely nothing I dislike about the book except that I didn't want it to finish. I, therefore, award Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure by Catherine A. Pepe the maximum rating of four out of four stars for such a captivating storyline that teaches readers values like respect, love, friendship and empathy. Furthermore, the book is professionally edited, as I found one typo throughout my reading.

I recommend this book to children who love reading an adventurous storybook, especially when they involve solving mysteries.

******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventure
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Benedicta1970]

I have not read this book but from your review it's obvious you had an amazing experience reading Donny and Marry Grace's California Adventure. Great review!

[Amy Luman]

I haven’t read this book either, but it seems to be great for kids. From what I can tell it deals with circumstances the children are likely to face and helps them to approach those situations appropriately.

[Isaac Oh]

From the description of this book, it will be nice for kids. I can't wait to read it. Great work on the review.