Review of Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
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Duke of the Readom
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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.]
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a novel that Catherine A. Pepe wrote. It tells the story of a little girl called Mary Grace, who had to step up and do all she could to stop the constant anonymous notes used to threaten and bully her. The story Catherine A. Pepe told opened with a scare when Mary Grace and her parents could find Donny. Donny was a special-needs child who had Down syndrome. Thankfully, the scare blew over, and life continued as always. Mary Grace never envisioned that one day, she would be forced to say goodbye to her parents and move to a different state. She moved to California with Donny, her little brother, and her woes began. She was being bullied and threatened. The problem was that Mary Grace did not know who was behind the threats because they were sent via notes. Thankfully, Mary Grace was no chicken, and she decided to team up with her teachers and some adults in her life to find the culprit. Her adventure is filled with mystery and revelations.
I have wanted to read this book since I first saw it. Thankfully, Catherine A. Pepe did not disappoint me in any way. First, the story was told in simple, clear words, and I had no trouble following the plot. Secondly, it had a decent amount of suspense. I was surprised by this fact because I am not used to seeing such intense suspense in a book meant for young readers aged thirteen and below. I was constantly on edge whenever it looked like the author of the notes sent to Mary Grace would be found. At some point, I developed trust issues and began to suspect certain characters of being the culprits. I was proven wrong over and over again. The big reveal surprised me and made me jump around excitedly because of how brilliant the plot was and the suspense that filled it. The suspense is what I liked most.
Catherine A. Pepe set out to give us a book that would entertain and educate us, and she did that successfully. To me, Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is not just a book that tells a story about solving a serious mystery. It taught me many lessons that I now hold dear. For instance, it showed me that children's hearts are pure and should never be corrupted by our horrible world. Donny was a little boy filled with smiles and a heart of gold. He knew how to comfort his sister, and his innocence made me wonder how this world got so wicked. I also learned that children must be allowed to vent their frustrations like adults do. I saw this in the way Mary Grace's parents behaved when Mary Grace was upset to learn that her parents would have to stay in Kenya for a couple of years. More parents should handle their children's emotions as maturely and respectfully as Mary Grace's parents did in that situation.
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a short book. That was why I could finish reading it twice in a short time. I liked it the first time I read it. On the second run through it, I realized I loved it so much that I cannot think of a single bad or negative thing to tell you. It had no negative aspects. I liked everything about it, from its stellar and exceptional editing to the pictures it had. I love the plot and how the suspense builds up at intervals. I cherish the lessons I learned from it. As I see no reason to subtract anything from its rating, I give it an excellent rating of 5 out of 5 stars because I did not dislike anything.
As I have already stated, this book was written for a young audience, but I want to believe that an older audience will benefit from reading it too. Not only does it contain an interesting story, but it also contains many nuggets of wisdom about life, school, bullies, and family. I recommend that it be read by anyone who loves books that outline how bullies are made and how to fight them without getting our knuckles dirty or messed up. Of course, parents or guardians of young ones can also grab a copy of this book for their children or wards that are thirteen years of age or younger. It will make for a good bedtime storybook.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a novel that Catherine A. Pepe wrote. It tells the story of a little girl called Mary Grace, who had to step up and do all she could to stop the constant anonymous notes used to threaten and bully her. The story Catherine A. Pepe told opened with a scare when Mary Grace and her parents could find Donny. Donny was a special-needs child who had Down syndrome. Thankfully, the scare blew over, and life continued as always. Mary Grace never envisioned that one day, she would be forced to say goodbye to her parents and move to a different state. She moved to California with Donny, her little brother, and her woes began. She was being bullied and threatened. The problem was that Mary Grace did not know who was behind the threats because they were sent via notes. Thankfully, Mary Grace was no chicken, and she decided to team up with her teachers and some adults in her life to find the culprit. Her adventure is filled with mystery and revelations.
I have wanted to read this book since I first saw it. Thankfully, Catherine A. Pepe did not disappoint me in any way. First, the story was told in simple, clear words, and I had no trouble following the plot. Secondly, it had a decent amount of suspense. I was surprised by this fact because I am not used to seeing such intense suspense in a book meant for young readers aged thirteen and below. I was constantly on edge whenever it looked like the author of the notes sent to Mary Grace would be found. At some point, I developed trust issues and began to suspect certain characters of being the culprits. I was proven wrong over and over again. The big reveal surprised me and made me jump around excitedly because of how brilliant the plot was and the suspense that filled it. The suspense is what I liked most.
Catherine A. Pepe set out to give us a book that would entertain and educate us, and she did that successfully. To me, Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is not just a book that tells a story about solving a serious mystery. It taught me many lessons that I now hold dear. For instance, it showed me that children's hearts are pure and should never be corrupted by our horrible world. Donny was a little boy filled with smiles and a heart of gold. He knew how to comfort his sister, and his innocence made me wonder how this world got so wicked. I also learned that children must be allowed to vent their frustrations like adults do. I saw this in the way Mary Grace's parents behaved when Mary Grace was upset to learn that her parents would have to stay in Kenya for a couple of years. More parents should handle their children's emotions as maturely and respectfully as Mary Grace's parents did in that situation.
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures is a short book. That was why I could finish reading it twice in a short time. I liked it the first time I read it. On the second run through it, I realized I loved it so much that I cannot think of a single bad or negative thing to tell you. It had no negative aspects. I liked everything about it, from its stellar and exceptional editing to the pictures it had. I love the plot and how the suspense builds up at intervals. I cherish the lessons I learned from it. As I see no reason to subtract anything from its rating, I give it an excellent rating of 5 out of 5 stars because I did not dislike anything.
As I have already stated, this book was written for a young audience, but I want to believe that an older audience will benefit from reading it too. Not only does it contain an interesting story, but it also contains many nuggets of wisdom about life, school, bullies, and family. I recommend that it be read by anyone who loves books that outline how bullies are made and how to fight them without getting our knuckles dirty or messed up. Of course, parents or guardians of young ones can also grab a copy of this book for their children or wards that are thirteen years of age or younger. It will make for a good bedtime storybook.
******
Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
