CM Magazine: The Nose from Jupiter.

________________ CM . . . . Volume V Number 5 . . . . October 30, 1998

The Nose from Jupiter.

Richard Scrimger.
Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 1998.
156 pp., paper, $8.95.
ISBN 1-55143-120-3.

Subject Headings:
Human-alien encounters-Juvenile fiction.
Bullying-Juvenile fiction.
Humourous stories.

Grades 3 - 7 / Ages 8 - 12.
Review by Cheryl Archer.

**** /4

excerpt:

It didn't take long for Norbert to become part of my life. Partly because I liked company, partly because I had no choice...I mean, I couldn't just ask him to leave. By the end of the weekend, I was thinking of him almost as a brother. Sometimes older than me, sometimes younger but always a big mouth. Turned out he was older than me, and younger. He was three Jupiter years, but it takes Jupiter a bit less than twelve Earth years to orbit the sun. So he was either three or thirty-six...sometimes it was hard to say which.
"Why did you pick my nose to land in?" I asked.
- Well, it was either yours or the dog's.
I'd forgotten about the collie.
- You ever been inside a dog's nose? You know where dogs' noses are, most of the time?
Good point.
I was kind of apprehensive about going to school on Monday. I didn't want to have to explain Norbert to everybody I knew. How could I explain an alien living in my nose? Probably no one would believe me. They'd think I was the one making the squeaky voice. I don't like to be embarrassed - who does? - and I sensed that somehow, over the next few days, Norbert would find a way to embarrass me.

Norbert, the alien from Jupiter who takes up residence in Allan Dingwall's nose, turns Allan's life upside down with humorous consequences. Suddenly, 13-year-old Allan, who isn't particularly big or strong and who detests soccer and mathematics, is saying some outrageous things. The new squeaky voice emanating from Allan's nose helps him contend with and eventually outsmart the school bullies, such as Larry and Garry - - described as "big guys with flat-top haircuts and tattoos," and to attract the attention of Miranda -- a smart, pretty and athletic classmate who, according to Allan, would have no reason to notice "boring old Allan Dingwall." As well, Norbert comforts Allan as he tries to figure out his divorced parents who remind him of "two like poles of a magnet," and, most importantly, Norbert teaches Allan to stand up for himself.

Dealing with bullies, first-love and coming-of-age aren't new themes for pre-teens, but Scrimger, a talented, fresh voice in the Canadian children's literature scene, juggles these delicate issues with wit, sensitivity and a cosmic amount of creativity. The entire premise of this novel is so zany that you'd think it wouldn't work, that it would be too unbelievable to be believed. But it does succeed. And it excels on all levels. The characters, and there is a large cast, are original and incredibly real. Dialogue is crisp and lively, the setting is strong, and the plot's pace never lags.

There's only one glitch in this otherwise charming tale. At times, an adult voice intrudes on the story - for instance, when Allan refers to himself as one of "Pavlov's hospital patients" because his mouth waters at the sound of a hospital cart in the hallway. This reference may jar younger readers but might not be a distraction for Scrimger's more sophisticated audience.

From page one of The Nose from Jupiter where Allan wakes up in the hospital with a mild concussion which he, of course, blames on the loud and pushy Norbert, and where Allan observes, "Don't you hate it when everyone in the room is wearing clothes and you're not?" middle-grade readers will be captivated by Scrimger's clever and playful writing.

Highly recommended.

Cheryl Archer is Manitoba Officer for the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - OCTOBER 30, 1998.