The Nose from Jupiter

Thirteen-year old Alan Dingwall has been the object of bullies for almost as long as he can remember and lately, it’s the bullies from 7L who hang around the south gate at school, or the Cougars as they like to call themselves, that are giving him the most trouble. Life is a challenge and his days are filled with avoiding the bullies, figuring out his newfound crush on the prettiest, most athletic girl in his class, and dealing with his divorced parents.

Everything changes in the blink of an eye when a bee accidentally flies up Alan’s nose while he’s cutting the lawn one hot, sunny afternoon. Or at least that’s what Alan thought it was until his nose started giving him advice and tormenting the bullies when he least expected it. show more Alan soon discovers that it’s no bee that’s taken up residence in his nose – it’s a tiny, wise-cracking alien named Norbert who’s traveled all the way from Jupiter to Earth on a fact-finding exploration mission and he’s taken a very verbal interest in what’s going on in Alan’s life.

Richard Scrimger‘s award winning book blends a little out of this world humour and wisdom with the added dilemmas of teenage angst to deliver the ageless story of the challenges many young teens face. Relatable, timeless, and funny from start to finish, The Nose From Jupiter is guaranteed to make you smile. Sometimes we could all use a little bit of Norbert in our lives! show less

Norbert, the alien from Jupiter, takes up residence in Alan's nose. Norbert is pushy, outspoken, and fearless....all of the things Alan is not. Alan is a bully magnet. Yet, little by little, Norbert encourages (pushy, he is) Alan to stand up for himself.

Alan is also dealing with his parent's divorce. Feelings are not spoken until Norbert pushes him to speak up. It seems as though it is tough for kids and adults to confront difficult issues. But, in persevering, Norbert nudges Alan to get the message out to his parents.

And, then, when his job is done, Norbert leaves Alan to take on a new project. Fully confident that Alan will be prepared for most issues in this life, Norbert bids farewell.

The Nose From Jupiter is full of show more tongue-in-cheek humor, but also full of thought provoking fodder for recognizing one's strength, acting on it, and bolstering up one's self-esteem. A short, readable story for readers and reluctant readers alike.

Thank you to Random House Canada, Tundra Books, Richard Scrimger, and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for this 20th Anniversary Edition. show less

I received a free copy of this book through the Early Revieweres program.

What can I even say about this book? There’s an alien living inside of the nose of a young boy. The alien’s name is Norbert — he’s from Jupiter, loves k.d. lang and hot chocolate, sometimes gets mouthy, and helps the boy deal with bullies.

It’s a concept that could so easily spin out of control, but Scrimger writes this masterfully — keeping it wacky and zany while never losing sight of the heart of the story. Yes, this is about an alien in someone’s nose. But it’s also about growing up and all of the tough things you encounter.

I enjoyed this children's book. I thought it included a lot of appropriate humor for children. Reluctant readers would love the idea of an alien living up someone's nose! I also appreciate the real social issues that Alan faces. This certainly can open up some discussion with readers. This is a timeless story. Thank you!

Witty and creative; I had not read this book as a teenager myself (it originally came out the year I graduated from high school) but as a middle-high school Language Arts teacher, I can see many of my students enjoying this book. A more modern version of this book is the recently published novel #Whathisface by Gordon Korman. This book reminds me A LOT of that story-line (A boy-ghost from the Shakespeare era trapped inside a young man's cell phone). Funny dialogue and humor with the miscommunications and confusion when Norbert is heard by anyone in ear shot. Simple but entertaining.

I won this book from Early Reviewers. I not sure whether to put this under Childrens or Teens, so its YA. This was a great book! It's about an alien that lives inside a 13 year old boy's nose. The alien helps him to overcome his fears with bullies and talk to a girl he likes. All the characters were awesome and the end was hilarious.

While there was nothing wrong with this story, I expected a lot more of it. When you pick up a book that is a "20th Anniversary Edition," you expect to find a story that has enough je ne sais quoi to have endured two decades. You expect something special. But, while this is a perfectly fine middle grade story, it's not special in any real way. I appreciated that the bullies were both girls and boys, and that the students seemed to come in different shapes. But beyond that....it's ok. I imagine a 12-year-old boy will like it fine. I didn't object to any of the content. I feel perfectly comfortable passing it to my 8 & 11-year olds.