The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

Where to start with Smekday? Okay. The earth is invaded by a bunch of aliens called Boovs. The Boovs generously "give" Americans Florida so that they can have the rest of the country. When eleven-year-old Gratuity Tucci's mom is taken by the Boovs to be a translator, she decides that she will drive to Florida by herself with only a cat named pig for company. Along the way, they meet a Boov who calls himself J.Lo (he's been hiding out in the magazine section of a store). J. Lo is on the lam from other Boovs, although Gratuity doesn't know this at first. Eventually, when another group of aliens called Gorgs arrive, J.Lo has to admit that he accidentally sent out radio signals to the Gorg. The Gorgs are much worse than the Boov and will not only kill all humans but will completely destroy the planet. But Gratuity, with the help of J.Lo and Pig manage to save the day.

At over 400 pages, there are alot of detours into side adventures, meeting with quirky characters, and lots of humour. But Gratuity and J. Lo are always at the heart of the story, their initial fear and antagonism gradually giving way to respect and frlendship. A fine book whose story and characters will remain with the reader long after the last page is finished.

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrne by Chris Cructher

Since grade school, obese Eric (Moby) has been best friends with Sarah Byrnes, a girl who was horribly disfigured by an accident at the age of three. In high-school Eric joined the swim team and began to slim down. Fearing that Sarah would feel alienated by his new appearance he tried to "stay fat" for her for almost a year, until Sarah pointed out to him that their lives were bound to eventually go in different directions but that their friendship would not be affected by his weight loss. But now Sarah is in a near-catatonic state in the pychiatric ward of the hospital and Eric is desperate to help her. As he hopes for a break-through with Sarah, he and his friends question why this is happening to her and what they can do - and there are no easy answers.

While the hardcover book jacket is a little dated, the characters and situations are as fresh and relevant as when the book was published in 1993.