Eudora Space Kid
The Great Engine Room Takeover
Sure to excite young readers, the welcoming science fiction novel Eudora Space Kid explores the galaxy via an audacious girl.
In David Horn’s science fiction novel Eudora Space Kid, a mischievous child who lives on a spaceship executes schemes to prove that she’s ready to become a member of the crew.
Eudora is an intelligent third grader with an aptitude for science and a penchant for trouble. She also lives aboard Athena, the largest ship in AstroFleet, where “space kids” are supposed to behave themselves, go to school, do their homework, and stay away from grown-up stuff, like the engine room and the plasma cannons. But Eudora believes that she is no ordinary space kid: despite her inexperience, she thinks that Athena could use a girl like her to run the show. After a quick test of the ship’s weapons, intrepid Eudora decides that the engines could use a tune-up. What follows is a comedic, ambitious plot to break Athena‘s speed record—a feat certain to get her noticed by the ship’s officers.
Eudora narrates, her tone conversational and welcoming. She prompts the audience to say “boo”; she addresses them with “can you believe it.” Humor results. Much of her narrative is focused on exposition, sharing what life is like on a spaceship, covering the greater purpose of AstroFleet, and making notes about Eudora’s family and their roles on the ship. Eudora’s recollections of her past misadventures aboard Athena are engaging, too. In the process of covering her background, she only hints at the wider universe, which waits to be explored in future installments.
Still, the book is entertaining in recording of Eudora’s hijinks. Barring its technical terms and features—hyper drive, a flax transistor, and a berry conduit among them—the language is targeted to young readers; Eudora may be given to misspellings, sure, but it’s to be expected—she is a third grader, after all.
The book’s charming black-and-white illustrations result in additional awareness about Eudora’s universe: some complement important plot points; others diagram Eudora’s zany plans. There are depictions of aliens aboard Athena, and of several parts of the ship. With a word search and a sneak peek at the next story to add to its excitement, the middle grade science fiction novel Eudora Space Kid ably explores the galaxy via the exploits of an audacious girl.
Reviewed by
Ian Dailey
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
