True Meaning of Smekday - by Adam Rex

This is a pretty hefty book, and it took me a while to get to it.  The cover gives no indication as to what it's really about, and after reading it I can understand why.  It's no ordinary book.

The reader is first introduced to 12-year-old Gratuity (Tip) Tucci when she is entering an essay contest for her school on the topic, "The True Meaning of Smekday."  Through her essay, we learn not only what Smekday is, but the story of her unbelievable adventure.  I can't really tell you all of what happened to her, but here's the gist:  After her mother was abducted (again), and the first group of aliens take over Earth and relocate all Americans to Florida, Tip meets a friendly fugitive alien and drives all over the U.S. with him in a modified junker car (it hovers!) looking for her mom, who is not in Happy Mouse Kingdom after all.  Along the way, they form a wonderful friendship, overcome many obstacles, and work to find a way to make everything right again. This is complicated by the second alien invasion, and the (looming) end of the earth.

Told with an amazing wit, and supplemented by all sorts of odd and delightful illustrations, this is a book to be treasured.  It's an ambitious read, with many pages (nearly 500), some tricky concepts, and lots to make you think.  That said, it's a reading adventure that you will be glad you took.  Grab this book and discover for yourself what the true meaning of Smekday.