Stacked Shelves

Adam Rex is a creative genius. Cold Cereal , his latest tween novel rivals his first – The True Meaning of Smekday – in originality and humor. But I have some nits to pick. First, though, librarians, moms, dads, if you want to get your kids laughing at a sort of post-apocalyptic novel (rather than wondering when we'll all start shooting at one another), recommend and read The True Meaning of Smekday . On Smekday, we learn from narrator Gratuity Tucci (aka Tip), the Boov invaded Earth and corralled all Americans, including Tip’s mom, to a reservation in Florida. Eleven year old Tip decides to hop in the family car to rescue her. Helping her along the way are her cat Pig (who has a strange affection for Boovs) and a Boov named J.Lo who is an expert mechanic and on the run from his own kind. The three go on a funny cross-country road trip and, in the end, save the world (and maybe the universe). Yes, the book drags a bit in the second half. It’s as though Rex has too many