The True Meaning Of Smekday

The True Meaning of Smekday has been compared to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for kids. With the same zany humor, Rex delivers not one alien invasion but two in this clever tale. Smekday, formerly known as Christmas, was the day that aliens known as the Boov invaded Earth and relocated all humans to "human preserves", such as Florida. Tip, whose mother was kidnapped by the Boov earlier, tapes soup cans to her shoes and drives the family car to Florida to find her mom. Along the way, the car breaks down, and Tip comes across a Boov. The two form an uneasy alliance that blossoms into friendship. J. Lo, as the Boov calls himself, is on the run after accidentally making a rude phone call to some big, bad aliens known as the Gorg. Together, Tip and J. Lo must find Tip's mom and stop the Gorg invasion. This book is laugh-out-loud funny with spot on characterization, and the illustrations, photos of Tip and J.Lo, and comics depicting the history of the Boov and the Gorg will draw in any reluctant reader. Give this to a 9-12 year old immediately! They do not have to like sci-fi. They only have to appreciate a good joke, which most 9-12 year olds do. Even parents will love the way that Rex satirizes cultural expectations and societal shifts, though these are heavy issues, their presentation is never heavy-handed. All in all, this is just a fun book.