The Great Engine Room Takeover (Eudora Space Kid #1)

Third grader Eudora Jenkins, who is white, has lived her entire life among the stars on the Athena, an AstroFleet spaceship. She dreams of becoming an AstroFleet engineer, but her innovative ideas, such as using a “hypersonic shocking device” to distract an AstroFleet officer, and precocious energy often gets her thrown in the brig. When Eudora learns that it’s possible to make a ship fly even faster than the Athena, she takes this as a challenge, and embarks on becoming the first engineer to shatter the speed barrier—even if it means breaking some rules in the process. Eudora soon realizes, however—thanks to her supportive family and the diverse and compassionate crew of the Athena—that she can pursue her goals and still respect the laws of AstroFleet. Eudora’s passion for STEM and eclectic family and friends—including her older human sister, her adoptive wolf-like mother and octopus-like father, and her mischievous bunny-dragon hybrid pet, Bologna—will entertain readers. Horn’s easily digestible text is accompanied by emotive black-and-white illustrations and chapter openers by Shipman. Concludes with a word search. Ages 8–10. (Self-published)