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Eedoo: Book I
Winner of Mom's Choice Gold Award for 9-12 Sharoo Awakens begins Rowe's Eedoo trilogy on a Nineday morning under the sapphire-blue sky of a small exotic planet in a parallel universe. Citizens of Broan pray to the One Behind Everything, wear heavy shoes to stay grounded in the low-gravity atmosphere, and honor the Law of Boomerang in how they live. Sharoo, the trilogy's sensitive yet intrepid heroine, is now eleven. Eedoo is a timeless inner presence she trusts completely. Eedoo guides Sharoo through everything--from stressful situations in school, to the powerful witch Zaura, to service of Broan's king and queen, and into combat with the fierce giant Mygor--champion of the cruel, merciless Glyzeans who want to enslave Broan . . .
124 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2018
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October 17, 2019
Spirituality is often difficult to talk about with children. Despite numerous studies that show that meditation can help with everything from concentration to stress, most school systems do not have meditation programs, as it is perceived by many parents to be a form of religion—and one to which they are not comfortable having their children exposed.
Given this unfortunate situation, W. W. Rowe’s Eedoo Trilogy is important. Taking place in a parallel universe where things are close enough to ours to be recognizable but different enough to be a fun literary device, these chapter books (each chapter is set off by an illustration by Benjamin Slatoff-Burke) introduce or reinforce the importance of being in touch with your higher self, represented in Book I by the enigmatic, warning spirit guide/guardian angel called Eedoo (who is termed a Floater).
Like imaginary friends, the existence of Eedoo is questioned by adults, with some significant results.
I mentioned that the parallel universe is fun. This is partially so because of the adjustments to common words and phrases, which also serve, similar to A Series of Unfortunate Events, to call attention to vocabulary (e.g., flutterbys instead of butterflies). There are also phrase adjustments like sleep room and water rituals (washing up, we called it).
Rowe also has fun with alternatives for popular acronyms, such as URL (to us it means Uniform Resource Locator, but in the universe of the book it is Ultra-Rarified Level). There is also plenty of punning, which also shines light on vocabulary and the uses of language. Young readers are introduced to portmanteaus in the form of a planet called Blore, a combination of blood and gore.
At a time when parallel universes are no longer in question, given the work of NASA, Google, D-Wave quantum computing, and quantum physics, children being exposed to the subtleties of the shifts in paradigm that might be likely is no less than good education.
Any children’s book that takes place in a school, especially one with elements of mysticism and magic, is likely to be compared to the Harry Potter series. One comparison in particular is the school teacher who has it out for the students, in this case Mr. Sade (a nod to the infamous marquis from whom the term sadist derived) and his corporal punishment device, the Zapper. In my days in Catholic school, a wooden ruler or a tug on the ear would do. When one of the children mentions the teacher’s battle-axe of a wife, I thought of the schoolmaster in Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
The heroine of the trilogy is Sharoo, recognizable as a cross between Judy Bloom’s Sheila the Great and J.K. Rowling’s Hermione Granger. She is a character that is likeable because she is identifiable. She navigates home and school as the targeted audience of ages 9 to 12 must.
It is interesting that, despite the book making a strong case for the importance of meditation and being in touch with our guides that the fortune teller/witch character is so stereotypical, from her cackle to the “curved, warty nose” and single tooth. I know many psychic mediums (I am married to one and father to another) and given their beauty and “normality” it’s probably time for such off-putting stereotypes to go.
In the last third of the book, Sharoo answers the call to adventure, becoming the stranger in a strange land as she leaves her home to help the king and queen.
The first two books in the trilogy are Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Winners for ages 9 to 12. As I was completing this review the publisher, Larson, announced that the third book in the trilogy has also won this award.
Given this unfortunate situation, W. W. Rowe’s Eedoo Trilogy is important. Taking place in a parallel universe where things are close enough to ours to be recognizable but different enough to be a fun literary device, these chapter books (each chapter is set off by an illustration by Benjamin Slatoff-Burke) introduce or reinforce the importance of being in touch with your higher self, represented in Book I by the enigmatic, warning spirit guide/guardian angel called Eedoo (who is termed a Floater).
Like imaginary friends, the existence of Eedoo is questioned by adults, with some significant results.
I mentioned that the parallel universe is fun. This is partially so because of the adjustments to common words and phrases, which also serve, similar to A Series of Unfortunate Events, to call attention to vocabulary (e.g., flutterbys instead of butterflies). There are also phrase adjustments like sleep room and water rituals (washing up, we called it).
Rowe also has fun with alternatives for popular acronyms, such as URL (to us it means Uniform Resource Locator, but in the universe of the book it is Ultra-Rarified Level). There is also plenty of punning, which also shines light on vocabulary and the uses of language. Young readers are introduced to portmanteaus in the form of a planet called Blore, a combination of blood and gore.
At a time when parallel universes are no longer in question, given the work of NASA, Google, D-Wave quantum computing, and quantum physics, children being exposed to the subtleties of the shifts in paradigm that might be likely is no less than good education.
Any children’s book that takes place in a school, especially one with elements of mysticism and magic, is likely to be compared to the Harry Potter series. One comparison in particular is the school teacher who has it out for the students, in this case Mr. Sade (a nod to the infamous marquis from whom the term sadist derived) and his corporal punishment device, the Zapper. In my days in Catholic school, a wooden ruler or a tug on the ear would do. When one of the children mentions the teacher’s battle-axe of a wife, I thought of the schoolmaster in Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
The heroine of the trilogy is Sharoo, recognizable as a cross between Judy Bloom’s Sheila the Great and J.K. Rowling’s Hermione Granger. She is a character that is likeable because she is identifiable. She navigates home and school as the targeted audience of ages 9 to 12 must.
It is interesting that, despite the book making a strong case for the importance of meditation and being in touch with our guides that the fortune teller/witch character is so stereotypical, from her cackle to the “curved, warty nose” and single tooth. I know many psychic mediums (I am married to one and father to another) and given their beauty and “normality” it’s probably time for such off-putting stereotypes to go.
In the last third of the book, Sharoo answers the call to adventure, becoming the stranger in a strange land as she leaves her home to help the king and queen.
The first two books in the trilogy are Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Winners for ages 9 to 12. As I was completing this review the publisher, Larson, announced that the third book in the trilogy has also won this award.
September 27, 2023
What worked:
Sharoo’s relationship with Eedoo is at the crux of the story where most of the citizens don’t believe in familiars. Eedoo speaks to Sharoo in her mind so no one else knows for sure he even exists. However, his ability to foresee the future enables Sharoo to avoid small and large challenges and slowly convinces others to have faith. The first incident finds her the target of teasing for carrying an umbrella on a sunny day. Later, Eedoo tells Sharoo about the Law of Boomerang when she engages mean-spirited people and this allows her to avoid negative thoughts. Eedoo’s advice helps her make hard decisions and brings her comfort each day. Their relationship presents a spiritual angle to the story.
While difficult to read, the author is able to evoke strong emotions in readers through the cruelty of Sharoo’s teacher, Mr. Sade. The reason isn’t clear, but the man seems to enjoy torturing his students. He has a box inside his desk that gives students a shock whenever he deems it necessary. Is incorrectly answering a question in class a good reason? Mr. Sade is able to increase the intensity of the machine whenever he wants and the electrical jolt can leave students shaking and in pain for hours. The teacher’s actions make him a clear antagonist and readers will await the moment he receives justice for his evil deeds.
The book is a quick read as the pace of the plot moves fairly quickly. The early chapters share the bond between Eedoo and Sharoo mostly as she deals with issues at school. Also, Sharoo was born under the sign of the Silver Dragon, a rare occurrence in this land, and it adds to her mystique. Every person is born under one of a hundred different signs and many of them are shared in the story. Sharoo’s parents decide she needs to visit a seer who confirms some suspicions about her. All of this builds up to the king and queen seeking Sharoo’s help when a neighboring army prepares to invade.
What didn’t work as well:
The narrative doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Everything is explained for readers which doesn’t allow for much inferencing. Requiring less thinking from readers can cause them to be less mentally and emotionally invested in the characters and story.
The final verdict:
The premise of the story is sound but the literal writing style may not appeal to all readers. Descriptions can be woven better into the story to make it smoother and more seamless. Overall, the story is entertaining and can be enjoyed by young readers.
Sharoo’s relationship with Eedoo is at the crux of the story where most of the citizens don’t believe in familiars. Eedoo speaks to Sharoo in her mind so no one else knows for sure he even exists. However, his ability to foresee the future enables Sharoo to avoid small and large challenges and slowly convinces others to have faith. The first incident finds her the target of teasing for carrying an umbrella on a sunny day. Later, Eedoo tells Sharoo about the Law of Boomerang when she engages mean-spirited people and this allows her to avoid negative thoughts. Eedoo’s advice helps her make hard decisions and brings her comfort each day. Their relationship presents a spiritual angle to the story.
While difficult to read, the author is able to evoke strong emotions in readers through the cruelty of Sharoo’s teacher, Mr. Sade. The reason isn’t clear, but the man seems to enjoy torturing his students. He has a box inside his desk that gives students a shock whenever he deems it necessary. Is incorrectly answering a question in class a good reason? Mr. Sade is able to increase the intensity of the machine whenever he wants and the electrical jolt can leave students shaking and in pain for hours. The teacher’s actions make him a clear antagonist and readers will await the moment he receives justice for his evil deeds.
The book is a quick read as the pace of the plot moves fairly quickly. The early chapters share the bond between Eedoo and Sharoo mostly as she deals with issues at school. Also, Sharoo was born under the sign of the Silver Dragon, a rare occurrence in this land, and it adds to her mystique. Every person is born under one of a hundred different signs and many of them are shared in the story. Sharoo’s parents decide she needs to visit a seer who confirms some suspicions about her. All of this builds up to the king and queen seeking Sharoo’s help when a neighboring army prepares to invade.
What didn’t work as well:
The narrative doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Everything is explained for readers which doesn’t allow for much inferencing. Requiring less thinking from readers can cause them to be less mentally and emotionally invested in the characters and story.
The final verdict:
The premise of the story is sound but the literal writing style may not appeal to all readers. Descriptions can be woven better into the story to make it smoother and more seamless. Overall, the story is entertaining and can be enjoyed by young readers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews