The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

I run a crochet elective at my school and after the first few weeks, the kids get the stitches down and start really focusing on their projects. It's the most eerie thing sitting in a room packed with kids that are being absolutely silent. So, we watch cartoons.

One of my students in crochet convinced me to put on "Home" last semester. It's about the Boov invasion of Earth and a a young girl named Tip. It's a cute movie. Thomas loves this movie. It is in fact the only movie he'll actually watch all the way through. I've seen the thing at least 50 times and it holds up surprisingly well.

As it turns out, "Home" is based on a book which Ryan promptly tracked down and bought for me. I finally read it a couple days ago. When I started it, I expected a quick read that followed the same general outline of the movie. I was wrong.

The book is almost nothing like the movie. The book is firmly locked into Tip's point of view and is written as a series of essays or memoirs. The movie is almost more told from the Boov's point of view. The Gorg (main adversary) are scarier in the book and there is a very deliberate nod to Orwell in the conclusion.

Beyond all that, the book is brilliant. It's smart, there's a little bit of satire going on, and the characters all make sense.

If I'd read the book first, I very well might hate the movie. Luckily, having seen it first, the movie is just different.