The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex · Grades 5–12 · Science Fiction & Fantasy
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex is on US reading lists at grades 5–12. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists. Every citation below links to the primary source.
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Before you buy: Grades 5–12 · 434 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9781408844915). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where The True Meaning of Smekday is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades 5–12
- Pages
- 434
- Reading time
- about 7h 55m (est.)
- First published
- 2007
- Genre
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- ISBN-13
- 9781408844915
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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More formats & details
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About this book
Book facts and sources (2)
- On award reading lists
- Catalog record
- First published 2007 · 434 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
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See all books like The True Meaning of Smekday→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This science fiction & fantasy title is typically read at grades 5–12. Written in the 2000s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction
- recommended·5th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·6th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·7th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·8th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·9th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·10th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·11th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
- recommended·12th gradesource: Andre Norton Award (SFWA) winners + finalists, via Wikipedia — 2007 Honor
Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook)
- recommended·5th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·6th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·7th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·8th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·9th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·10th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·11th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
- recommended·12th gradesource: Odyssey Award (best audiobook) winners + honors, via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner
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Common questions
- What grade level is The True Meaning of Smekday?
- The True Meaning of Smekday is listed for grades 5–12. It appears on 2 book-award lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read The True Meaning of Smekday?
- It takes about 7h 55m to read The True Meaning of Smekday (434 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 475 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The True Meaning of Smekday?
- The True Meaning of Smekday appears on reading lists for Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction, Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The True Meaning of Smekday banned in schools?
- The True Meaning of Smekday does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 5–12 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: read-aloud.