The Nose from Jupiter

The Nose from Jupiter is a humorous novel written by Canadian author Richard Scrimger. It follows the adventures of a 13-year-old boy who has an alien residing in his nose. It is the first book in this series - the other books are A Nose for Adventure, Noses are Red, and The Boy from Earth.

Plot

Thirteen-year-old Alan Dingwall wakes up from a light coma after drowning in a creek. Although he is not suffering from amnesia, Alan cannot seem to remember what exactly happened the day that he drowned. The reader is then taken back into time as Alan tries to recall his memories.

Alan is mowing the lawn, despite the fact that he hates doing it. He laments the fact that he does not have the courage to stand up to the bullies of class 7L, the Cougars. When mowing the lawn, something flies up Alan's nose, which causes him to freak out. When Alan finally calms down, he discovers that an alien, whose name is Norbert, is living in his nose.

As the book progresses, Alan and Norbert develop a friendship. Norbert's arrival does change things for Alan though. Norbert talks to Alan's crush, Miranda, and even livens up an entire science class. However, Norbert also draws some unwanted attention from the bullies during a soccer game between the Cougars and the Commodores.

In the middle of a constellation presentation, Alan accidentally runs into the Cougars in the boys' washroom. Feeling humiliated after being mocked at the soccer game, the Cougars and Alan get into a fight.

We are then taken to the day of Alan's accident. He suspects that he is being followed by one of the bullies, most likely Prudence. At this point in the story, Alan's memory gets foggy and unclear, and we are taken back into the present.

Alan is back at the hospital in Toronto. He is visited by two people: Miranda and, surprisingly, Prudence. Prudence tells Alan what happened the other day - how he tripped over a collie dog and how Prudence had a change of heart after rescuing him out of the water. She apologizes to Alan for the way that she treated him, and promises that the rest of the Cougars will stop bullying, with the exception of Mary and Gary.

Following the aftermath of the accident, Alan is treated like a hero when he returns to school. As Mary and Gary try to intimidate Alan, Norbert flies out of his spaceship, scaring them both. The next time that Alan switches on the TV, he flips to a channel that is showing a country music special. k.d. lang is performing and is clearly bothered by an insect. The microphone screeches loudly, and even though she tries to continue, she is distracted. As the song ends, k.d. lang blows her nose in a handkerchief...

Characters

Alan Dingwall is an average 13-year-old boy residing in Cobourg, Ontario. He is best friends with Victor Grunewald and has a crush on Miranda. Alan has bright red hair and pale skin; he compares his blushes to tropical sunsets.

Norbert is an alien from Jupiter who is certainly not afraid to speak his mind. He has a girlfriend called Nerissa and loves to have a cup of cocoa.

Victor Grunewald is Alan's Irish best friend. He is extremely self-conscious and tends to be on the cowardly side.

Miranda is Alan's crush. Alan describes her as nice, athletic, and smart.

Larry and Barry were both members of the Cougars. Both were bullies, but they decided to change their ways after Prudence talked to them. Alan thinks of them as "big, dumb, and laugh when someone belches."

Mary is also part of the Cougars. Unlike Prudence, Larry, and Barry she refuses to stop bullying the students of Edgewood Senior Public School. She is infamous for her crude words and gas.

Gary is part of the Cougars.

Prudence was also part of the Cougars. She's petite and neat, with a braid and some good clothes. She is a tough person. Alan backs that up with an example of the time when she squeezed a can of beans until it burst.

The Parents are Alan's parents. Alan's dad works in the human relations department all the way out in Vancouver. At several points in the story, Alan attempts to convey his feelings to his dad, but never ends up succeeding. Alan's mother works as a social worker, but Alan compares that to an old saying of the "candle maker's kids always end up in the dark." He feels like she spends a lot of time on her cases and not enough time on him.

References to other works

Because this is a fiction novel, there are not many references. However, it did refer to Canadian country singers Shania Twain and k.d. lang.

Awards and nominations

• Mr. Christie's Book Award - Best Children's Book, 1998 • Kids' Pick of the List - American Booksellers Association • Official Selection, Young Adult Library Services Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults List 1999 • Short listed, Young Reader's Choice Award, 2001 • Short listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award, 2001 • Canadian Toy Testing Council, Great Book for Children, 2003

Publication history

1998, Canada, Tundra books ISBN 0-88776-428-2, Paperback

Sources, references, external links, quotations

http://www.scrimger.ca/nosefromjupiter.htm