The Secret Cookie Caper by David Horn is the fourth book in the Eudora Space Kid series. Eudora and Arnold have spent their whole lives on Athena, a 36-deck AstroLiner. Eudora is a normal girl, an absolute whiz at science and math, and she has one big ambition in life – to be the chief engineer on an AstroLiner. Eudora can’t help getting into mischief, and when she creates chaos on deck, she’s put in the brig to learn her lesson. When she learns of a secret room on Athena, a room full of cookies, she just has to investigate. Will she find the secret room? If she does, what will she find? No one else has been able to find the secret room – or have they?

Part of the Eudora Space Kids series, The Secret Cookie Caper by David Horn is an amusing and engaging book, not just for kids, but for their caregivers, too. You could probably read this as a standalone, but it’s best to read all the books to get a true feel for the characters. I haven’t read any other book in the series, but I felt I got to know the main characters very well, and there was enough backstory to tell me what I needed to know. It’s an action-packed plot filled with humor and fun for all readers, with some lovely illustrations by Judit Tondora. It’s a quick read written in the first person from Eudora’s perspective, and the descriptive writing places readers firmly in the story, with all the chaos that ensues. This is an enjoyable tale, one that all kids will love to read over and over again.

In The Secret Cookie Caper by David Horn, another adventure is about to happen aboard the AstroLiner Athena, the most important ship in the fleet and home to lifelong “space kids” Eudora and Arnold. Life on the Athena is exciting, except when it comes to the food. Chef Franklin, who runs both cafeterias, insists on creating extravagant, overly fancy meals instead of simple, comforting dishes. When Chef Franklin tastes Arnold’s mango, he becomes instantly obsessed. Chef Franklin orders ten thousand mangoes to be served the entire week. Eudora, determined to put a stop to the mango madness, invents a tool to dispose of them. Eudora finds out that somewhere on the Athena is a secret cookie room. Ever since Chef Franklin arrived ten years earlier, a box of cookies has gone missing from his pantry every few days. Eudora cannot resist the mystery, and solving the cookie caper is her next big adventure.

The Secret Cookie Caper by David Horn is filled with humor and mischief. Mystery and sci-fi were woven through the plot, and I could not turn the pages fast enough. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its artwork. Every chapter begins with an illustration, and more illustrations follow throughout the book. This helps children understand better what the story is about. The engaging writing style and illustrations made it easy to visualise the events and become part of them. The characters were realistic and easy to like; Chef Franklin was my favorite. The lessons that can be learned from this book are to take responsibility for your actions and to stand up for what you believe is right. The book was brilliantly written, and it held my attention from start to finish.