Smekday or Why I Love Science Fiction

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex

In a world full of books about wizards and magic (not that there's anything wrong with that), it is refreshing to read some true science fiction--funny science fiction, at that. Smekday used to be called Christmas but was renamed when earth was conquered. Gratuity, Tip to her friends, is asked to write a school essay about the true meaning of this holiday and the book starts with her first version and then her second and then her full account of the year after earth is invaded. Truly inventive, funny and illustrated with cool pencil drawings, this was everything you could want in a science fiction novel. There was even a battle or two, cross-cultural miscommunication and cool technology. But at its heart is Tip's coming of age story. Here's a link to Adam Rex's Smekday website:

http://www.smekday.com/

Coming in September.

The House that Jack Built, revisited

The Apple Pie that Papa Baked, by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Jonathan Bean starts with "the pie, warm and sweet, that Papa baked" and travels outward to "the world, blooming with life" by way of the sky, clouds, rain, roots, the tree and its apples. As fun as this book is to read aloud, it is the pictures that take my breath away. This is Jonathan Bean's first book, not that you would ever guess. His artwork was inspired by Wanda Gag and Virginia Lee Burton and the gold, black and red pictures have an old-fashioned picture book feel. A Caldecott contendor is the consensus here at Children's.