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    The True Meaning of Smekday
    Unavailable
    The True Meaning of Smekday
    Unavailable
    The True Meaning of Smekday
    Audiobook10 hours

    The True Meaning of Smekday

    Written by Adam Rex

    Narrated by Bahni Turpin

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    It all starts with a school essay.

    Twelve-year-old Gratuity “Tip” Tucci is assigned to write five pages on The True Meaning of Smekday for the National Time Capsule contest, and she’s not sure where to begin: when her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended to Earth, and aliens—called the Boov—abducted her mother?

    Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

    Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo, a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom, a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious, and an outrageous plan to save Earth from yet another alien invasion.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 6, 2010
    ISBN9780307711113
    Unavailable
    The True Meaning of Smekday
    Author

    Adam Rex

    Adam Rex is the author of many books, including Cold Cereal and Unlucky Charms, the first two books in the Cold Cereal Saga; the New York Times bestselling picture books The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors and Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich; the middle grade novel The True Meaning of Smekday (now a major motion picture from Dreamworks, Home); and the teen novel Fat Vampire. He lives in Arizona with his wife.

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    Reviews for The True Meaning of Smekday

    4/5

    412 ratings65 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Everything everyone ever told me about this book is true. I adored it. Tip was fantastic and having the tale written as an essay from her point of view really let her personality shine through. J.Lo was almost just as great, as were Pig, the different BOOBs, the Chief, Tipsmom, and the rest. The illustrations and comics were important to the story and were adorable. Had I children, I'd read this to them. Since I don't, I'll most certainly be gifting it. It's fun, it's wildly entertaining, and it's rooted in the realities of the world and doesn't shy away from things like racism but makes them completely understandable and approachable for children (and anyone) to think about. So much fun!
    • 4/5
      Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.What a hilarious, delightful little book. Gratuity Tucci has to write an essay discussing what the true meaning of Smekday, the day aliens conquered Earth, means to her. Thus begins the hilarious and often sweet story of Gratuity's journey to find her mother, accompanied by an alien who calls himself J.Lo and her mother's cat. The adventure is huge, the aliens hilarious, the action thrilling, and every picture and drawing littered about made this an incredibly charming read. I totally recommend it to everyone.
    • 5/5
      I couldn't really buy the conceit of this being a school essay, but if I forgot about that and just enjoyed the story, I really liked it!
    • 5/5
      One of the best books I have read in quite a while! Picked it up from my local library and read it in an evening. Hard to believe that this is a children's book, based on the length itself. Would be a great book to read to children.
    • 5/5
      If you enjoy Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams, this is a book for you.
    • 5/5
      Great on audio!
    • 4/5
      A really fun read for anyone 8 . Really enjoyed it. Just enough drama and action without being scary for younger readers enough humour for adult readers - it should make a great movie!
    • 3/5
      The Boov have taken over earth, and one of them, accidently, has insulted a vicious race called the Gorg who have come to destroy. Gratuity Tucci is 11-years-old, and with her Boov friend J-Lo, is determined to save humankind.
    • 5/5
      I loved this smart, funny, and delightful book! The audio version is masterfully performed and the characters really come to life for the listener. Perfect for MG/YA (or adult!) readers looking for some fast-paced and fun science fiction.

      I didn't realize before I read this book that the movie "Home" is based on it--from a quick look at the movie trailer my impression is that the book is FAR superior!
    • 5/5
      The Boov are hilarious. And a cat is a good pet to have.

      Updated because I just listened to the audio book version of it, which was amazing. The Boov are descibed as sounding like a combination of a sheep and bubble wrap and the reader, Bahni Turpin, actually managed to capture that in a convincing and earworm-like way. Maaaaaa! *smack*
    • 4/5
      I laughed a lot while reading the story of how a girl named Gratuity (her friends call her Tip) and an alien called J.Lo save the world.
    • 4/5
      Nice book but there's a bit of foul language used by an 11 y/o so parents pre-read.
    • 5/5
      If you haven't figured it out by now, my other passion besides books are movies. I watched Home which came out last year and starred (the voices of) Jim Parsons, Rihanna, and J. Lo. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was based on a middle grade (I struggled over this designation) novel entitled The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex. (Do you see where this post is headed?) Both storylines focus on a little girl named Gratuity "Tip" Tucci as she tries to find her mom in the aftermath of an alien takeover. The aliens are called the Boov and they've corralled the humans into a centralized location and taken over everything. This is where the similarities mostly end. The relationship between Tip and her mom, Lucy, is less than ideal. Her mother drinks a lot, is financially irresponsible, and relies heavily on her daughter who is only eleven. I appreciated that Rex wrote this in a matter-of-fact way. It's a reality that exists for many children and I think realistic relationships such as these are underrepresented. What's important is that despite all of that Tip is determined to find her mother so that they can be reunited. Of course, it's not as easy as that. She's in Philadelphia and the majority of humanity have been sent to Florida. She buys a car with the emergency savings they have in their apartment and sets out with her pet cat, Pig. (That wasn't a typo.) She meets a Boov named J. Lo (Firstly, it's a boy Boov which is awesome. Secondly, the book is actually dedicated to J. Lo and as mentioned above she voices a character (the mom to be exact) in the movie.) who enhances her car so that it hovers. They go on a rollicking, dangerous adventure to find her mom while dodging the Boov and another race of aliens called Gorg (actual race is Nimrogs but they are all named Gorg) who have also arrived to colonize Earth. Rex uses illustration in a clever way throughout the book. There are "polaroids" (pencil drawings) of different parts of their trip as well as comic strip illustrations from J. Lo with written explanations by Tip. It's a quick, fun read that I think would especially benefit reluctant readers. It had a lot of heart and touched on a lot of topics such as substance abuse, race, and loyalty. I really enjoyed it. :-D
    • 3/5
      Well, I gave it the old college try but 225 pages is enough for me. There are moments of goofy humor but overall, aliens and disaster just aren't enough to hold me.

      12/1-24/2012 Narrated by Bahni Turpin. Gave the audiobook a try since it won the Odyssey Award and that is what the star rating is for. Turpin's reading got me more into the story than the print alone (although I still can't get into stories about space aliens). Her voicing is lithe and flexible, an entertaining accomplishment given that she interprets not just humans, but the Boov and Gorg aliens. A highlight is the sweet befuddlement of the Boov alien JLo. The girl Gratuity is smart and determined, but sassy and humorous, too.
    • 5/5
      Eleven-year-old Gratuity "Tip" Tucci's mother is abducted by aliens, who then conquer the Earth and decide to relocate the population of the United States to a human reservation in Florida. Gratuity elects to drive rather than be transported, takes her cat, picks up an alien in need of a ride, has all kinds of trials, tribulations and adventures, and ultimately plays an instrumental role in liberating the world.It's a wonderfully fun combination of hilarious wacky comedy, science fiction, road trip story, and satire on colonialism in one of those rare volumes that seems likely to work so well for both adults and kids that I'm honestly not sure which audience the author had in mind while he was writing. I enjoyed it immensely.Although I am tempted to take back half a star for the way that the characters keep leaving their cat in the car for hours on end. In hot climates. In the summer. With no apparent bad consequences. Come on, Mr. Rex, that's just irresponsible! (I am, however, fine with the eleven-year-old driving a car by tying cans of corn to her feet so she can reach the pedals.)Rating: 4.5/5, if I ignore the car-and-cat thing.
    • 3/5
      Very funny; a little heavy handed sometimes in the lesson/allegory dept.
    • 5/5
      A great YA read with some wonderful metaphors and biting social commentary. Gratuity Tucci, aka Tip, is separated from her mother when the aliens invade and announce that everyone in the US is going to have to move to Florida because the Boov are going to use the rest of the country. When Tip meets J.Lo, a Boov in trouble, her real adventures begin. Funny and touching, and overall wacky joy to read.
    • 2/5
      i haven't finished this book but i don't think i need to to write this review.

      it's a decent YA book. funny (Rex's set up and timing is a bit off but still...), satirical, creative, and engaging. the illustrations and comics break it up nicely and add dimension to the story. but i think to write a *rave* review about it (a rave review about reading this aloud to your kids drew me to this in the first place) you would have to be unaware of science fiction and farcical satire. i see wordplay and juxtaposed ideas in this book not unlike i found in Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. and i felt that some things were just too over-the-top stretched to the silly breaking point. for example, naming the main alien J.Lo. c'mon...

      having said that, i will reiterate that it is a smart and funny book and well worth your young reader's time. but for those of us familiar with this kind of writing, i think it tries too hard and is so washed out and derivative as to make me go "meh" or even groan a little in anguished pity rather than punny bad-jokey facepalming.
    • 4/5
      The rare science fiction book that has a girl as the main character. Funny and smart. Good for anyone from 4th to 8th grade.
    • 4/5
      Wonderful elementary and middle-school level book. Highly recommended.The protagonist is an eighth grader who has lost her mother to an alien invasion. The book takes the form of an essay being written by the girl to explain what Smekday really means to her... The winner will have their essay included in a time capsule to be opened 100 years in the future.So Gratuity ("Tip") Tucci begins her story. She's funny, witty, and mature, while still having the light-heartedness and hopefulness of a, well, a middle-schooler.She first goes into the "what happened"... then the "what next" when her teacher urges her to include more personal reflection. Tip, her alien (Boov) compadre "J-Lo," and her cat all set out to first save themselves and then to save the world.It's light, fun, quick, and cute. It's original, thoughtful, and funny. Well-populated by a wide variety of characters with their own personalities, this book is a gem that I'm glad I've discovered!Definitely recommend for elementary (high level) and middle school readers looking for something new...FOUR of five stars.
    • 5/5
      Everything changed for Gratuity "Tip" Tucci after her mother was abducted by aliens. Actually, everything changed for everybody when the Boov took over. They decided that Earthlings should all move to certain segments of their countries (do I smell a metaphor?), which in America means Florida. So Tip sets out for Florida, hoping to find her mother there. What she finds instead is a renegade Boov named J.Lo (yes, after that J.Lo), and another whole race of aliens called the Gorg. And the Gorg are about to make the Boov look like stuffed toys...Alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, with Polaroids and J.Lo's own illustrations interspersed in the narrative, this is one of my favorite books I've read lately. Dreamworks is working on a film, and I can only hope it measure's up. Recommended for everyone from tween to adult.
    • 4/5
      Die 11jährige Tip ist ein für ihr Alter ungemein cleveres und mutiges Mädchen, das es nicht ganz einfach hat. Sie lebt allein mit ihrer Mutter, die nicht immer so vernünftig ist wie Mütter und Väter es eigentlich sein sollten, besonders dann wenn sie allein für ihre Kinder sorgen müssen. Als ihre Mutter dann an dem Tag verschwindet, an dem alle AmerikanerInnen nach Florida umziehen müssen, da es die Boovs die die Erde eroberten so bestimmt haben, macht sich Tip gemeinsam mit ihrer Katze Sau auf die Suche. Unterwegs trifft sie J.Lo, einen Boov der ihr Gefährt zum Schweben bringt und mit diversen anderen nützlichen Funktionen ausstattet. Sie reisen gemeinsam weiter und entdecken, dass der Erde eine sehr viel größere Gefahr droht als die Invasion der Boovs...
      Ungeheuer actionreich und witzig ist diese Geschichte, insbesondere J.Los Annäherung an die irdischen Gewohnheiten wie auch Tips Infos die sie über das Leben der Boovs erhält. Es wird gekämpft und getrickst und immer wieder wird deutlich gemacht (für Erwachsene vielleicht etwas zu sehr), dass die Invasion der Ausserirdischen nicht viel anders abläuft als die Eroberung bzw. Kolonisierung fremder Länder und Kontinente.
      Den besonderen Reiz erhält das Hörbuch jedoch durch die Interpretation von Cathlen Gawlich. Es ist schlicht unglaublich, wie sie allen Personen, äh nein, wohl besser Individuen unverwechselbare Stimmen verleiht. Selbst die einzelnen Boovs erhalten unterschiedliche Tonlagen, sodass man sie problemlos auseinanderhalten kann. Phantastisch!
      Dennoch, eine kleine Mäkelei kann ich mir nicht verkneifen: Für mich kam der Schluss viel zu knapp. Ich weiss nicht, inwieweit hier vielleicht gegenüber dem Buch gekürzt wurde, aber bei 395 Minuten Laufzeit gerade mal so 20 Minuten für das Ende zu lassen - das ist schon etwas sehr abrupt und kurz. Nichtsdestotrotz: Volle Punktzahl für ein Hörbuch, das die ganze Familie begeistern kann. Auch wenn 11jährige vermutlich nicht alle Gags verstehen werden, haben sie sicherlich auch ihren Spaß an 'Happy Smekday'.
    • 5/5
      I admit it: I judged this book by its cover. With a title like that, how could I not pick it up? And I was not disappointed. A girl named Gratuity and a cat named Pig meet an alien named J.Lo and journey across America to find Gratuity's mother. It's a pretty ridiculous story all around. The illustrations are fantastic and the whole thing is really funny. It's also a not-so-subtle allusion to the story of the Native Americans, a rare work of effective satire that loses neither its humor nor its message. Good stuff.
    • 5/5
      This novel hits on all cylinders: female African-American protag who is smart and tough, hysterically funny alien, solid coding as a way to talk about Indian relocation (including a Native American character who talks about these issues). Solid children's science fiction. HIGHLY recommended.
    • 4/5
      A most entertaining read - or in my case, a listen, as I heard it on audiobook and thus missed the illustrations. Rex has a slightly demented imagination that makes this book both amusing and original too. JLo the Boov is quite adorable. In a freakish, octopus-kind-of-way. Filled with social commentary, oddball humour and madcap craziness, this is a book that should be enjoyed by young and adult alike, and one for parents to enjoy with their children.
    • 2/5
      Fantasy, science fiction.
    • 4/5
      The narrator rocked this audio. Lots of fun humor and large appeal for kids. One of my new favortie recs for kids that are ready to graduate from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
    • 4/5
      Completely adorable. They had me at "alien named J.Lo".
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was really funny and charming. I'm embarrassed to say it turned me into that nerdy person who snickers out loud while reading.
    • 5/5
      Adam Rex is a prime example of an author who can bring amazing depth to a riotously funny story. There were times when I found myself convulsed in giggles listening to the Smekday audio (which Bahni Turpin does an amazing job of narrating), but the story also made me think. Parallels to the European treatment of Native Americans abound, but that's just the easiest issue to identify; there's plenty more where that came from. I think this would make a great discussion book for middle school students since there's lots of moral grey areas to explore. Kids also enjoy the action, suspense and humor. I do recommend if you listen to the audiobook that you find a print copy to refer to occasionally because the illustrations only add to the fun, however you don't absolutely need them to understand the story.