All Gorg Are Left-Handed

For my very first book review here, I'll be reviewing The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.

Just a few basics for you: this is juvenile fiction, science fiction, and what the movie "Home" was based on.

Now that that's over, let me just tell you, this book is amazing!  Definitely the best children's book I read this year.  It is laugh-out-loud funny.  Seriously, it's one that if you read in public, you're going to have people looking at you funny.

The story follows Tip, a half-black, half-Italian girl, her cat, Pig, and a rouge Boov, J.Lo as they navigate the country to find Tip's mom.  The story is told in the form of Tip writing an essay on "The True Meaning of Smekday" for her eighth grade English class.  Having Tip as the narrator is genius!  Her sassy pre-teen voice gives the book a ton of humor and makes it very relate-able.

Her essays are broken up by teacher feedback and some very graphic-novel-like sequences from J.Lo himself, to help explain the Boov to Tip and to the readers at large.

I read this book just because I like to read the book versions of movies, but after reading it, I can't wait to use it in my classroom!  It will be my first read-aloud to my students this fall, and I plan on pulling it out again and again to teach voice, figurative language, word choice, and character development.  I wish I had the book here with me to give you some examples of all of the above, but I loaned it out already, and there's a waiting list for my copy, so you'll just have to go find your own at the nearest library or bookstore.  (Honestly, you may as well just buy it.  You're gonna love it!)

I would recommend this book for anyone over the age of about nine.  Tip does say "God" as a curse word a few times, and I think maybe "crap" once, but, because she is a good girl, she apologizes every time.  :)

There is a sequel to this book that is on my current "to-read" list called Smek for President!  As soon as I read it, I'll let you know how it goes!