Review of Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles

[Jennifer Garcia 555]

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

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3 out of 5 stars

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Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles by Catherine Anna Pepe is a fun story about solving a mystery about marbles. Donny is a little boy with Down syndrome. He loves to play marbles with his good friend, Ed. Donny finds some ugly marbles in a package that he was supposed to leave at Ed's door. These ugly marbles lead the children on a dangerous adventure as the children try to figure out what the ugly marbles actually are. Donny attempts to replace the ugly marbles with pretty marbles, but this leads to more trouble. Donny gets help from his friend, his sister, and the Grandma Gang. Even the police get involved.

I liked Donny very much. He is a kind child that wants to help others in any way that he can. I liked how supportive Donny's sister is of him. She watches out for him and encourages his independence. I enjoyed the genuine friendship between Donny and Ed. The Grandma Gang is an adorable addition to the story. I enjoyed how this story focuses on inclusivity of people of all ages. I feel this is an important lesson for children.

There are a few aspects of this story that I did not like. Donny seems to have good intentions with his actions, but he does not listen when his sister, his friend, and his friend's mother tell him not to open the boxes. Even when Ed gets in trouble for Donny's actions, Donny still opens the boxes. This is not a good lesson for children. When the police get involved, the children are allowed to help the police go after criminals. The children get into serious danger in this book. I did not like that the children's safety was not taken seriously in this story. I also think that this story may be too long for young readers.

I give this book a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The story moves along at a decent pace. The main characters are likable. I loved the mystery aspect of the story. I deducted stars for the undesirable lessons included in this story and for the length of the book. This book would be more engaging for young readers if it were shorter.

I would recommend this book to parents to read with their children. It's a fun adventure story that parents could discuss with their children. I would also recommend this book to older children that enjoy longer stories.

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Donny, Mary Grace and the Ugly Marbles
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