The first in a new series of hilariously funny, early reader sci-fi chapter books perfect for elementary-aged kids. Meet Eudora Jenkins, the math and science whiz who lives in SPACE!
Eudora is a normal 3rd grader. A normal 3rd grader who lives on a 36 deck AstroLiner. In space. A normal girl adopted by what you might call . . . aliens. Whose mom is a dog-like species named Pox who runs the onboard jail (brig) and whose dad is an octopus-like species from the planet Pow. A girl who has normal ambitions, like being the chief engineer on an AstroLiner. A girl who comes up with a plan to prove her worth by improving her ship’s engines and breaking all known speed records. Will she succeed and earn a promotion? Or will she end up in the brig? Again . . .
Brilliant for engaging emergent and early chapter book readers.
Eudora Jenkins is just a standard third grader– who has been adopted by alien parents and happens to live on The Athena, a defensive spaceship belonging to the Planetary Republic. In this hysterical debut by Horn, the first in the series, Eudora earns the spotlight with her courageously reckless space antics, such as when she distracts Lootenant Londo, Athena’s burliest officer, so she can fire the ship’s plasma cannons and ends up in the brig for the umpteenth time. At constant odds with Captain Jax, this fearless, science-loving youngster plans to be captain herself one day, a mission that spurs her decision to sneak into the engine room to “break all known space speed records,” in hopes of being promoted to a first-level officer.Eudora’s propensity for comic situations and entertaining side comments will have readers of all ages in stitches: she sets a goal to enact “Flip-Flop Fridays” when she is in charge, pals around with a pet "drago" she has christened Bologna, and encourages loud booing whenever anyone mentions the alien Qlaxons, insisting “[t]hey are the meanest aliens out there, and you want to annoy them by saying boo.” Not to be taken lightly, however, Eudora is a stereotype-breaking, clever kid who craves adventure and shatters through barriers—even as she informs readers that “[s]paceships are cold, so you need warm socks.” Eudora wants nothing more than to rocket to first-in-command, and her intuition—“Grown-ups don’t like it when us kids know how to do adult things”—is spot-on.
Horn hits the jackpot for younger audiences with his feisty, high-spirited heroine, and Talitha Shipman’s black and white graphics carry the comic torch–from side-splitting diagrams of Qlaxon armor, complete with “pointy boots” and a “floofy” tail, to the Star Trek-inspired spaceship bridge where officers are shown sipping soda during maneuvers. Eudora inspires while she delights, and early readers will be lining up for her next galactic crusade.
Takeaway: An entertaining space fling with a spunky but determined heroine.
Great for fans of: Louis Sachar’s Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Dan Gutman’s My Weird School series.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
