Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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Kimberly calero
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- Latest Review: Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe
Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
[Following is a volunteer review of "Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures" by Catherine A. Pepe.]
Mary Grace and Donny are a brother and sister duo who fiercely love and protect each other. The opening scene is about Donny, the younger brother with Down Syndrome, getting lost at the zoo and Mary Grace, the older sister with exceptional talent in problem-solving, doing everything she can to find him. It demonstrates their dynamic for the rest of the book, which follows them as their parents head off on a mission to Africa and they are sent to California to live with their grandparents. Moving is always such a huge change, and imagine moving right after you've started 5th grade! How will they ever adjust?
The book Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe might be a work of fiction, but it teaches real-life lessons about handling emotions, bullying, inclusivity, and kindness. Anyone who went to school knows how mean kids can be, and how hard it can be to make friends when there are already pre-existing cliques. It's a sweet way to show children that their struggles aren't their burden to bear alone; there are other people who know what they're going through.
I enjoyed this book and it touched my heart in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. I usually read about and watch documentaries about true crime, and reading a children's book with a happy ending lifted my spirits. I related to the big move because I had something similar in my life around that age. The real reactions and emotions aren't really seen in a lot of children's media but I think it's beautiful to show the sadness that comes with change and the happiness that comes with overcoming adversity.
There was one moment that I was confused about but after a quick Google search, it was all cleared up. The family is in the Episcopal denomination, and there was a two-second reference to a male priest who had a husband. I thought that most churches in general were not really accepting of LGBTQ+ people but the Episcopal church is one of the accepting denominations, so it wasn't out of the ordinary to hear about a priest and his husband. I know some people have reservations about LGBTQ+ representation in kid's books, but as I said, it's a two-second moment that isn't elaborated on again. I wouldn't let that stop a teacher in a conservative area from purchasing the book and having it in their classroom.
Since that was my only moment of confusion, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it endlessly. It's nice to look at the world the way that Donny does, as a child who has boundless and contagious joy and rarely lets anything get him down. He's comforting when his sister is sad and takes part in rejoicing when others are rejoicing. Every child deserves to have a Donny in their life, even if it's just in this book.
I specifically recommend this book to parents who have older elementary school children as well as the teachers who teach them. There's a character that deals with home problems, and I remember in school not knowing much about those "troublemaker kids" and simply avoiding them because they were mean. I wish I knew to be kinder to them even if they were mean because they hadn't received any kindness at home. Bullies aren't cool, but it's also not cool to forever designate a child as untouchable when they simply might be having a rough time at home. Those of us who grew up in nice homes might not understand that until much later in life, and it leads to a divide that further hurts everyone. There are also lessons of forgiveness, hard work, and sacrifice for the greater good.
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Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Mary Grace and Donny are a brother and sister duo who fiercely love and protect each other. The opening scene is about Donny, the younger brother with Down Syndrome, getting lost at the zoo and Mary Grace, the older sister with exceptional talent in problem-solving, doing everything she can to find him. It demonstrates their dynamic for the rest of the book, which follows them as their parents head off on a mission to Africa and they are sent to California to live with their grandparents. Moving is always such a huge change, and imagine moving right after you've started 5th grade! How will they ever adjust?
The book Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe might be a work of fiction, but it teaches real-life lessons about handling emotions, bullying, inclusivity, and kindness. Anyone who went to school knows how mean kids can be, and how hard it can be to make friends when there are already pre-existing cliques. It's a sweet way to show children that their struggles aren't their burden to bear alone; there are other people who know what they're going through.
I enjoyed this book and it touched my heart in a way I haven't experienced in a long time. I usually read about and watch documentaries about true crime, and reading a children's book with a happy ending lifted my spirits. I related to the big move because I had something similar in my life around that age. The real reactions and emotions aren't really seen in a lot of children's media but I think it's beautiful to show the sadness that comes with change and the happiness that comes with overcoming adversity.
There was one moment that I was confused about but after a quick Google search, it was all cleared up. The family is in the Episcopal denomination, and there was a two-second reference to a male priest who had a husband. I thought that most churches in general were not really accepting of LGBTQ+ people but the Episcopal church is one of the accepting denominations, so it wasn't out of the ordinary to hear about a priest and his husband. I know some people have reservations about LGBTQ+ representation in kid's books, but as I said, it's a two-second moment that isn't elaborated on again. I wouldn't let that stop a teacher in a conservative area from purchasing the book and having it in their classroom.
Since that was my only moment of confusion, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it endlessly. It's nice to look at the world the way that Donny does, as a child who has boundless and contagious joy and rarely lets anything get him down. He's comforting when his sister is sad and takes part in rejoicing when others are rejoicing. Every child deserves to have a Donny in their life, even if it's just in this book.
I specifically recommend this book to parents who have older elementary school children as well as the teachers who teach them. There's a character that deals with home problems, and I remember in school not knowing much about those "troublemaker kids" and simply avoiding them because they were mean. I wish I knew to be kinder to them even if they were mean because they hadn't received any kindness at home. Bullies aren't cool, but it's also not cool to forever designate a child as untouchable when they simply might be having a rough time at home. Those of us who grew up in nice homes might not understand that until much later in life, and it leads to a divide that further hurts everyone. There are also lessons of forgiveness, hard work, and sacrifice for the greater good.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
