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Nose #1
The Nose from Jupiter
How do you shut up when your nose is doing all the talking?
Alan is not big or strong. He hates playing soccer and can barely keep up in math class. Moreover he’s fodder for every bully for miles around. But all that changes the day Norbert, an alien from Jupiter, comes to earth on an exploration mission and moves into – Alan’s nose. Soon Alan isn’t acting like himself, but is Norbert really to blame? Loud, pushy and hilarious, Norbert teaches Alan to stand up for himself, even when the odds are stacked against him.
Alan is not big or strong. He hates playing soccer and can barely keep up in math class. Moreover he’s fodder for every bully for miles around. But all that changes the day Norbert, an alien from Jupiter, comes to earth on an exploration mission and moves into – Alan’s nose. Soon Alan isn’t acting like himself, but is Norbert really to blame? Loud, pushy and hilarious, Norbert teaches Alan to stand up for himself, even when the odds are stacked against him.
156 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 1998
9 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Richard Scrimger
35 books29 followersI was born with very little hair and very little feet and hands. They all grew together and I still have them, together with all my organs except tonsils. I do not have four children -- they have me and we all know it. I write and teach and talk about writing and other things. Actually, I talk a lot. I’m right handed, my car has a dent in the passenger side door, and my blood type is A-. The motto of South Carolina is Dum spiro spero.— success comes by breathing. I like black licorice and rice pudding and ratatouille and coffee. Lots of coffee. My hair usually needs cutting. How much more do you need to know about anybody?
I have been writing since 1996. No, that's not true. I wrote for years before that, but no one cared. Since 1996 I've published fifteen books for adults and children. You can read more about them somewhere else on this site. A few of the books did very well. Some came close. A couple didn't do well at all. My most recent offering is Ink Me, a tragicomedy about a tattoo gone wrong, told in supercool phonetic speak by our learning-disabled hero. Zomboy – an undead story – is due out next year. (My editor and I are arguing about certain scenes right now.) And I am writing a semi-graphic novel about kids who fall into a comic book.
Do you want more details? Really? Okay, then.
In 1996 I published my first novel, Crosstown (Toronto: The Riverbank Press), which was short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award.
Humorous short pieces about my life as an at-home dad with four small children used to appear regularly in the Globe & Mail and Chatelaine, and can still be found fairly regularly on the back page of Today's Parent. I reworked some of this material into a full-length chunk of not-quite-non-fiction, which was published by HarperCollins as Still Life With Children.
I started writing children's fiction in 1998. Two middle-school novels, The Nose From Jupiter and The Way To Schenectady did well enough to require sequels. There are four Norbert books so far, and two Peelers.
My work has received a lot of attention in Canada and The United States. The Nose From Jupiter is a Canadian bestseller. It won a Mr Christie Book Award, was on most of the top ten lists and has been translated into a Scottish dozen languages (that’s less than 12). Bun Bun’s Birthday, From Charlie’s Point of View, Mystical Rose, and Into the Ravine made a variety of short lists and books of the year – Quill and Quire, Canadian Library Association, Globe and Mail, Chicago Public Library, Time Out NY (kids), blah blah. Ink Me is part of the “7” series – linked novels featuring seven grandsons with quests from their common grandfather. Pretty cool, eh? As my most recent book, it is my current favorite. But watch out for Zomboy next year. It’s a killer!
I have been writing since 1996. No, that's not true. I wrote for years before that, but no one cared. Since 1996 I've published fifteen books for adults and children. You can read more about them somewhere else on this site. A few of the books did very well. Some came close. A couple didn't do well at all. My most recent offering is Ink Me, a tragicomedy about a tattoo gone wrong, told in supercool phonetic speak by our learning-disabled hero. Zomboy – an undead story – is due out next year. (My editor and I are arguing about certain scenes right now.) And I am writing a semi-graphic novel about kids who fall into a comic book.
Do you want more details? Really? Okay, then.
In 1996 I published my first novel, Crosstown (Toronto: The Riverbank Press), which was short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award.
Humorous short pieces about my life as an at-home dad with four small children used to appear regularly in the Globe & Mail and Chatelaine, and can still be found fairly regularly on the back page of Today's Parent. I reworked some of this material into a full-length chunk of not-quite-non-fiction, which was published by HarperCollins as Still Life With Children.
I started writing children's fiction in 1998. Two middle-school novels, The Nose From Jupiter and The Way To Schenectady did well enough to require sequels. There are four Norbert books so far, and two Peelers.
My work has received a lot of attention in Canada and The United States. The Nose From Jupiter is a Canadian bestseller. It won a Mr Christie Book Award, was on most of the top ten lists and has been translated into a Scottish dozen languages (that’s less than 12). Bun Bun’s Birthday, From Charlie’s Point of View, Mystical Rose, and Into the Ravine made a variety of short lists and books of the year – Quill and Quire, Canadian Library Association, Globe and Mail, Chicago Public Library, Time Out NY (kids), blah blah. Ink Me is part of the “7” series – linked novels featuring seven grandsons with quests from their common grandfather. Pretty cool, eh? As my most recent book, it is my current favorite. But watch out for Zomboy next year. It’s a killer!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 3, 2021
My 8yr old son and I both enjoyed it!
April 25, 2019
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.
July 24, 2023
Scrimger has a very skewed idea of what is appropriate for a childrens book. On the one hand he wont write the word damn...but he will talk about how one of the main characters friends is knowledgeable about sex and there was one part where he suggests that lizzie borden had the right idea by killing her parents because the main character was annoyed his mom doesn't pay enough attention to him.
The writing comes across as stilted with a sarcasm that borders on nihilistic, and doesn't seem well suited to the age demographic it's written for. The humour seems contrived and doesn't land because the prose sucks all the joy out of the book.
Also it can be confusing because the perspective muddles the difference between the boys nose and the alien living inside his nose. So the alien is called norbert...but he refers to his nose itself as norbert as well. For example a ball will hit him in the nose and he'll say that it hit Norbert. Even the books title implies this confusion "the nose from jupiter" the nose isn't from jupiter though the alien who lives there is. And that being said he's not inside his nose, pictures show an x ray shot of the alien sitting in the middle of his head, so in that way it's not in his nose...it just used his nose to get inside his head. But that would make a less silly title and without the silly title you just have a kind of weirdly cynical book about divorce, complicated relationships with inattentive and absent parents... illness and bullying. It opens with the main character suffering a concussion in the hospital struggling to remember what happened to him, it's weirdly dark and nowhere near as fun as the cover suggests.
Now this might be a stretch but it also seems to me to be an allegory for possession. The alien shows up because of some hurt or something lacking in his life and goes inside his head. The way it is written he has no control over Norbert or what he says. He shows up and starts causing trouble through him, insulting people acting out and blurring the lines between what is Alan and what is Norbert. At one point Alan describes the experience as being on autopilot like he's in a trance. In media aliens are typically used as interchangeable with demons or as allegories for one another. If that sounds like a weird conclusion to draw then you might just be looking at the bright cheerful cover and not reading the words which are far more adult and kind of grim and don't seem well suited to the target audience of children at all. It's also enforced by the weird guardian angel archetype they ascribe to norbert near the end of the book.
What could have made the book more fun if they had left it open ended whether there was any alien at all. For example the idea is floated that he's just doint a silly voice when Norbert speaks and that Norbert is an imaginary friend. If better executed the reader might have been encouraged to read on to find out whether there really is an alien or if it's just a persona the main character develops to deal with tough situations. However it's written from the perspective of the main character and such notions are dispelled too thoroughly to maintain any mystery.
It wasn't all bad there was some good character growth that saves the story a little bit but overall this was a disappointing read that does not hold up to the nostalgia of having read it as a kid it's no wonder I didn't remember the story at all.
The writing comes across as stilted with a sarcasm that borders on nihilistic, and doesn't seem well suited to the age demographic it's written for. The humour seems contrived and doesn't land because the prose sucks all the joy out of the book.
Also it can be confusing because the perspective muddles the difference between the boys nose and the alien living inside his nose. So the alien is called norbert...but he refers to his nose itself as norbert as well. For example a ball will hit him in the nose and he'll say that it hit Norbert. Even the books title implies this confusion "the nose from jupiter" the nose isn't from jupiter though the alien who lives there is. And that being said he's not inside his nose, pictures show an x ray shot of the alien sitting in the middle of his head, so in that way it's not in his nose...it just used his nose to get inside his head. But that would make a less silly title and without the silly title you just have a kind of weirdly cynical book about divorce, complicated relationships with inattentive and absent parents... illness and bullying. It opens with the main character suffering a concussion in the hospital struggling to remember what happened to him, it's weirdly dark and nowhere near as fun as the cover suggests.
Now this might be a stretch but it also seems to me to be an allegory for possession. The alien shows up because of some hurt or something lacking in his life and goes inside his head. The way it is written he has no control over Norbert or what he says. He shows up and starts causing trouble through him, insulting people acting out and blurring the lines between what is Alan and what is Norbert. At one point Alan describes the experience as being on autopilot like he's in a trance. In media aliens are typically used as interchangeable with demons or as allegories for one another. If that sounds like a weird conclusion to draw then you might just be looking at the bright cheerful cover and not reading the words which are far more adult and kind of grim and don't seem well suited to the target audience of children at all. It's also enforced by the weird guardian angel archetype they ascribe to norbert near the end of the book.
What could have made the book more fun if they had left it open ended whether there was any alien at all. For example the idea is floated that he's just doint a silly voice when Norbert speaks and that Norbert is an imaginary friend. If better executed the reader might have been encouraged to read on to find out whether there really is an alien or if it's just a persona the main character develops to deal with tough situations. However it's written from the perspective of the main character and such notions are dispelled too thoroughly to maintain any mystery.
It wasn't all bad there was some good character growth that saves the story a little bit but overall this was a disappointing read that does not hold up to the nostalgia of having read it as a kid it's no wonder I didn't remember the story at all.
May 30, 2021
Alan Dingwall, 13, is an ordinary seventh grader in Cobourg, Ontario: not particularly good at math or sports, not very popular, cowed by the school bullies, and a little lonely, especially at home with his divorced mother who doesn't have much time for him and an even busier father who lives all the way across the continent. He doesn't feel loved. His unhappiness is almost a speaking character. Then a tiny alien from outer space flies up his nose and takes residence there, and a bunch of these things start to change.
At first Alan worries that Norbert's smart-aleck remarks will get him in trouble. Or maybe people like his parents and teachers will decide he's crazy. But as some of the kids at school – including a girl Alan has a crush on – assume Norbert's comments are a ventriloquism act and his mom thinks he has an imaginary friend, he starts to relax. Almost. There is just one tiny problem: Norbert humiliated the school bullies in an intramural soccer game, and they don't forgive or forget. You'll suspect that has something to do with the fact that Alan wakes up in the hospital with a pain in his head, doctors puzzled about a spaceship-shaped shadow in his MRI, and no memory of being pulled out of a swollen river by a girl.
Alan tells us the story of the days leading up to his accident, with a little help from Norbert, while trying to remember what happened. What they discover is strange, funny and touching. It's a well-written, intelligent story that doesn't pull punches, settle for cuteness or talk down to young readers. In fact, they may find its vocabulary and concepts challenging, and some of its pop culture references (like k.d. lang and land-line phones) might be dated enough, after 20-plus years, to raise questions for today's youngsters. Asking them, or doing a little research, hurts nobody, though. And anyway, Alan's wit, his heart, his growth as a character, the realism of his situation, and Norbert's smart mouth all make the effort seem more than worthwhile.
This is the first book of a series that continues in A Nose for Adventure, Noses Are Red and The Boy from Earth. Canadian author Richard Scrimger has also published several other novels for adults and children, including The Way to Schenectady, Of Mice and Nutcrackers, From Charlie's Point of View, Me & Death, Zomboy, Lucky Jonah and Downside Up. He also co-authored Viminy Crowe's Comic Book with Marthe Jocelyn.
At first Alan worries that Norbert's smart-aleck remarks will get him in trouble. Or maybe people like his parents and teachers will decide he's crazy. But as some of the kids at school – including a girl Alan has a crush on – assume Norbert's comments are a ventriloquism act and his mom thinks he has an imaginary friend, he starts to relax. Almost. There is just one tiny problem: Norbert humiliated the school bullies in an intramural soccer game, and they don't forgive or forget. You'll suspect that has something to do with the fact that Alan wakes up in the hospital with a pain in his head, doctors puzzled about a spaceship-shaped shadow in his MRI, and no memory of being pulled out of a swollen river by a girl.
Alan tells us the story of the days leading up to his accident, with a little help from Norbert, while trying to remember what happened. What they discover is strange, funny and touching. It's a well-written, intelligent story that doesn't pull punches, settle for cuteness or talk down to young readers. In fact, they may find its vocabulary and concepts challenging, and some of its pop culture references (like k.d. lang and land-line phones) might be dated enough, after 20-plus years, to raise questions for today's youngsters. Asking them, or doing a little research, hurts nobody, though. And anyway, Alan's wit, his heart, his growth as a character, the realism of his situation, and Norbert's smart mouth all make the effort seem more than worthwhile.
This is the first book of a series that continues in A Nose for Adventure, Noses Are Red and The Boy from Earth. Canadian author Richard Scrimger has also published several other novels for adults and children, including The Way to Schenectady, Of Mice and Nutcrackers, From Charlie's Point of View, Me & Death, Zomboy, Lucky Jonah and Downside Up. He also co-authored Viminy Crowe's Comic Book with Marthe Jocelyn.
February 22, 2021
Cute, funny novel about a boy who learns to speak up for himself by confronting bullies and expressing his feelings to his friends and parents. The author does an excellent job of “showing” feelings instead of telling. Dialogue is fun and full of allusions and similes. Highly recommend for ages 9-10.
January 20, 2020
A great story about resilience, knowing your strength and finding your tribe. There were so many laugh out loud moments and my students loved the story. There were many activities I was able to do around this book that kept my students engaged and invested in the story.
D 4/5
D 4/5
November 5, 2020
I’m on a YA kick and no one can stop me.
This book was quirky and fun, but fell into some pretty tired “bully” tropes. The alien character was funny and different, but besides that the story was a little familiar.
This book was quirky and fun, but fell into some pretty tired “bully” tropes. The alien character was funny and different, but besides that the story was a little familiar.
April 21, 2019
Silly. Light. An oddball junior book for some entertaining light reading.
June 11, 2020
I read this book almost 20 years ago and I still think about it!
February 27, 2022
Kids book over 7 years old to 12.
January 20, 2019
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. 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!
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. 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!
October 31, 2018
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 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.
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 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.
August 5, 2011
Norbert is the alien from Jupiter who has taken up residence in Alan’s nose. Norbert helps Alan deal with his divorced parents and the bullies who torment him and his Grade Seven classmates. Norbert’s extroverted attitude, his offbeat sense of humour, and his squeaky voice protect Alan and gain him friends and girls.
October 28, 2018
The Nose from Jupiter is a middle-grade book about a boy named Alan who is bullied and ignored by his mother. Soon an tiny alien settles in his nose. The alien tells Alan a bit about Jupiter, but it is mostly about Alan's life. Alan almost drowns and is surprised to learn who saves him.
This book is a bit boring, but if your child likes funny sci-fi they might be into it.
This book is a bit boring, but if your child likes funny sci-fi they might be into it.
February 18, 2019
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.
February 4, 2009
Mr.U my class's buddy teacher read this last year and is reading it again. It Rox my Sox!
November 25, 2009
A tiny alien decides to live in a boy's nose. They become friends and the alien helps the boy with everyday life.
September 27, 2010
NEVER EVER EVER!!!!!!
May 7, 2011
Hilarious! I randomly picked this up from the library when I was in middle school/high school, and it was really funny and different in so many ways :)
May 8, 2011
Great read-aloud with my girls.
September 30, 2012
This book was a short easy read, it had an interesting timeline among the book! I would recomend this to you, if you like the comedy books!!
October 16, 2015
amazing book!
April 18, 2016
It's cute. Good message but some aspects needed to be more fully developed.
December 16, 2016
I stole this book from my juniour-high school. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say it's worth reading, but not worth stealing.
My apologies, Laurier Heights School.
My apologies, Laurier Heights School.
March 28, 2017
Not terrible, just not really worth reading for me or for the kids. They don't deal with bullies or divorced parents; when the time comes that it might be helpful for them to read about such issues, there are better books out there. We'll skip it.
March 28, 2017
really good and easy to understand.
Read
June 22, 2017Fun and easy book. Read to my grade 7 class for our humor unit
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews