The True Meaning of Smekday

At the novel’s end, Tip writes that in real life, there is either no moral to the story, or there are too many morals of the story to list. Using evidence from the novel and analysis, argue for one of these two possibilities. If there is no moral, why? If there are many, what are they, and what contributes to them?

This novel features two extraterrestrial invaders, the Boov and the Gorg. What are the main differences and similarities between these two species? What is the narrative effect of Adam Rex including both rather than just one? How would the narrative change if it focused only on the Boov or the Gorg?

Watch DreamWorks’s Home and write an essay on the differences between this novel and its film adaptation. How does the film change the personalities of the characters, the relationships between characters, the motivations of the Boov and the Gorg, and the plot of the narrative as a whole? What effect do these changes have? Consider how the tone and style change Tip’s characterization when the story is not delivered as her first-person written account.

Research an aspect of colonization that has a clear counterpart in the novel (e.g., forced relocation, the idea of “Grand Destiny,” or the phrase “Noble Savage”). How is this term used in real-life historical events? How is it used in the novel? Does reading about this phenomenon in the novel help you think differently about real-life events? Why or why not?

Tip’s story is in three parts: one failed attempt at an essay, one successful attempt at an essay, and one private diary entry. Why is the structure of these three frame narratives important to the novel? How would the narrative change if it was only told in one part?

In the novel, many characters feel lost or ostracized. Choose one character (e.g., J.Lo, the “Lost Boys” below the Happy Mouse Kingdom, or Chief) and write an essay about the unique way this character experiences loss. Why do they feel they cannot relate to others? How does the broader destruction of the United States’s infrastructure, landmarks, and currency exacerbate this isolation and ostracization?

What do Tip’s photographs and the comic drawings she and J.Lo made add to the novel? What meaning does the reader gain from the visual features that they cannot gain from Tip’s words alone?

Tip’s teacher asks her to write an essay about major historical events she lived through for a time capsule that will be opened in 100 years. First, write a short essay about a major historical event you lived through that you would include in a 100-year time capsule. Like Tip, explain the events to readers who do not have the same context as the people who lived through them. Then, write a second short essay about your process. How and what did you decide to write about? What was your process for deciding how much to explain things? What can your essay teach people 100 years from now?