What if your mother thought that she’d been abducted by aliens? What if she told everyone at work about it? Embarassing, right? But what if she was right? What if she HAD been abducted by aliens, and it was only a matter of time until those aliens not only abducted her again, but Took Over the World?
That’s what’s happened to Gratuity Tucci. In 2011, a race of aliens called the Boov have taken over the world and forced all human beings to relocate to Florida (everyone wants to go to Florida, right? Orlando has the Happy Mouse Kingdom!).
Gratuity has been self-sufficient since her mother was abducted, so instead of taking the Boov-provided transport to Florida with everyone else, she decides to drive herself (and her cat, Pig) there in her mother’s car. Along the way she meets a renegade Boov, who calls himself J.Lo (not being aware that this is a name that might be considered well-known) and allows him to hitch a ride with her to Florida.
When they get to Florida, though, they discover that the Boov have forced humans to relocate again–to Arizona. And, what’s worse, another alien race has discovered the earth, and the Gorg make the Boov look like friendly pussy-cats. The Gorg plan to exterminate all humans, then eat the planet Earth and destroy it utterly.
What can Gratuity and J.Lo do to stop them? Will Gratuity ever find her mom? What will happen if anyone discovers that J.Lo is one of the hated Boov? Will anyone ever pull Gratuity over for underage driving? And what part does Pig the cat play in all of this?
The True Meaning of Smekday is hilariously funny, surprisingly philosophical, and a great buddy story. Anyone, who likes to think and to laugh will enjoy this book, no matter what their age. If you already have read this leave a comment below, telling us what you thought!
Posted by: Sarah
When a new sheepdog arrives on the farm, he thinks the job of rounding up six sheep should be a snap. However, he soon learns that the sheep have different plans. He tries a number of different methods but soon learns that all he needs to say is one small word. Kids will laugh at the illustrations of the outrageous methods Digby uses to try to herd the sheep. I love the picture of Digby riding in a tank with his goggles and scarf blowing behind him. This cute story also teaches the importance of using the word please.
I love a good mystery and a heroine with lots of gumption! This book has both. Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective, and his brother Mycroft. On her fourteenth birthday, Enola’s mother does not return home. The sons find that she has let the estate fall into ruin and has let her daughter run wild. She has accumulated the money she has saved on expenses and used it to escape from the confining Victorian rules of etiquette and class which bind her to the estate and to a life she does not want. 
It was a secret for many years. But now the story can be told of how the Navajo language was used as a secret code in WWII. This intriguing book follows a Navajo boy from a boarding school run by whites where the Navajo language was outlawed, through his experiences in the Marines in World War II as he used his once outlawed language to send important messages in the midst of battle. The Japanese had broken codes before but they could not break the code of the Navajo language. This combination of action and information will appeal to upper grade school children, young adults and adults.
This is a wonderful picture book written for all the kids who miss someone who is far away. The girl in the story decides that she will just mail herself to the people she misses. The story rhymes and repeats the line “I miss you every day” – “Please take me to the post office – They will sort me on my way – I’ll jump into a mailbag – I miss you every day.” The pictures are colorful and childlike, and the end pages have sweet notes written by kids to friends, grandma and grandpa, cousins, etc. This story is just right for any child who is away from a person they love.
Not only is the name of this book secret, so is the plot. In this humorous book, the author takes the reader on a mad-capped adventure with some delightfully interesting characters. In fact, I don’t even know if I should be talking about the book. I’m going to risk it, though!
Once upon a time there was a castle up on a hill. There was a King who liked to nap, and to visit with his Hermit to seek wisdom. There was a Queen who enjoyed solitude and who was envious of the King’s Hermit. There was a Prince, Heir to the Throne, who loved poetry. There was a Princess who loved herself. There was a Spare Prince who loved his sword and dueling. There was also a Village, down in the valley, where there was a Peasant Girl who dreamed of flying, and a Peasant Boy who dreamed of horses.
Capricorn Anderson is a 13-year-old homeschooled kid from an alternative farm commune. The commune was comprised of several families in the old days, but now there’s only Cap and his 67-year-old grandmother, Rain. That’s the problem. Rain breaks her hip and is hospitalized. Cap needs to go to temporary foster care and public school. Imagine a kid like Cap, with his long, un-groomed hair, hippie beads, hemp clothes, cornhusk sandals, tai chi practice out on the lawn, no familiarity with television, telephones, school lockers, lunchrooms, pizzas, and more, showing up at your middle school all of a sudden. He becomes an immediate target of derision. Zach Powers is “Mr. Popularity” and sets up Cap to become 8th grade class president — a position always awarded the biggest nerd so that he’d be a school-year-long center of ridicule. All this sounds depressing and sad, but Cap, in his own unique way and his own unique personality comes through smelling like roses. There is humor and sweetness, touching moments, and admiration for a misfit who stands strong for his values. You’ll also find meanness, bullying, cliques, kids judging others by superficial standards, etc., which all makes for good discussion. The ending is a bit of a stretch — that’s why they call it ‘fiction’ — but this is a good story, well-written by an author familiar to kids, and my bet is all will enjoy meeting the unusual and one-of-a-kind Cap Anderson.
