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Feb 15, 2021IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
An amusing sequel to Rex’s wildly funny children’s science fiction novel, *The True Meaning of Smekday*, which was made into the animated movie, *Home*. After Tip (a girl) and J.Lo (a Boov) saved the Earth from the Boov and saved the Boov from the Gorg (a much nastier alien species), the Boov agreed to emigrate to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, which they turn into “New BoovWorld”. J.Lo did not move there, because the Boov are still mad at him – not for saving them from the Gorg, but for making the mistake that let the Gorg find out where they were in the first place. Eventually J.Lo decides it is time to go to New BoovWorld, tell everyone what really happened, and ask for forgiveness. He talks Tip into going with him as a character witness. When they arrive on New BoovWorld, they discover that Smek has decided to change the political system from totalitarian to an American-style democracy, and he is running for President. Of course he plans to arrest anyone who runs against him or who knows things about him he doesn’t want revealed – anyone like J.Lo and Tip, for instance. Adventures, election satire, and Rex’s wild wordplay ensue. Not quite as funny as the first book – mostly because a lot of the craziest jokes about the alien cultural misunderstandings were already used in the first book – but still a lot of fun. Aimed at perhaps 5th-7th grade, but entertaining for older readers, too.