Richard ScrimgerBesprekingen

Mystery

I can think of no author more qualified to write a book of this nature. Richard Scrimger brings his innate talent and humor to this practical guide that breaks down the elements of writing a good story. As informative as it is laugh out loud funny, anyone who wants to write stories will find his suggestions to be useful. Highly recommended

I didn't realize this book was set in Toronto but on the first page there's a mention of Sorauren Park and I was jazzed - I love reading books set in my city!

I really liked the way Scrimger tackled the grief of Fred and his family. We see them in the background mostly, because Fred's grief is really self-centered, but it's clear to the reader that there's more to the situation than we're getting. I often wanted Fred to stop staring at his shoes and look at his mom and sister, because there's definitely something else important there. Fred was a really relatable character for me, not necessarily because I've had the same experiences as him or even because our reactions are the same, but because his reactions seemed real.
The upside down world was a really great way to explore grief. I love the magic realism take on it, though the dragon part felt like it got away from Scrimger a bit. The point was a bit spelled out at the end and I felt that dragons were a bit much. Other than that, I liked this book a lot.

I also really love the cover - Matt Forsythe does beautiful work. I'll have to see what other books he's illustrated for!

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.½

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.

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 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.

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!

I taught junior high students for many years, and now volunteer at our local library. I was very excited about this book. This will be a book to recommend to those boys who don't want to read. I had my niece read it, and she loved it, so it appeals to both genders and a wide variety of ages. Funny, gross, yet able to bring about a lot of discussion.

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!½

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.

Cute book about a boy, Alan Dingwall, and his journey to overcome bullies with the help of Norbert. Norbert is an alien from Jupiter who lives in Alan's nose. The book tells how Norbert gets in Alan's nose one day while he's mowing the lawn. It also tells about Alan's family dynamics with his divorced parents and his father living many miles from him.

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 just might be my favourite Richard Scrimger book (which is saying something because I reread the Nose from Jupiter until my copy fell apart).

Zomboy is a darkly funny and somehow really touching look at discrimination through reactions to Imre, an undead student. It's realistic -- well, not in the walking-dead nature of the title character, but in the controversy, the protests, the often frustrating opinions of other characters. Not just realistic but eerily familiar.

And, as with all of Scrimger's books, the writing doesn't talk down to the reader, nor is it moralistic. It's just... honest, and it trusts kids to figure out what they want to take from it.

Finally, the characters themselves are brilliant. Imre with his Eeyoresque sense of humour, Evil-O with her grit and desire for justice, or Bob with his hypochondria... they're all amazing and memorable.

I don't want to focus only on this book being an LGBT middle grade book, because there's a whole lot that's awesome about Lucky Jonah. So, let me say this first: this is Richard Scrimger at his finest. Great characters, a zany body-swapping plot that goes EXACTLY how you'd hope, and overall hilarious writing.

And now it's time to gush about the LGBT aspect.

Books with LGBT main characters are still, unfortunately, rare beasts in the middle grade world. This is a breath of fresh air -- a gay kid who goes on a wild adventure thanks to a magical camera. Homophobia is definitely addressed, but it's not the main focus of the book.

Speaking of homophobia, there's a word that appears in this book -- one that I'm not going to repeat, but it's a derogatory slur for a gay man -- that I never thought I'd see in a middle grade book ever. It's addressed as being unacceptable, and the scenes where it appears feel like a punch to the gut. It's not thrown around lightly. But it was still surprising. MG has such strict rules about acceptable/unacceptable language, and I wonder what the reaction is going to be like.

Downside Up, in many ways, reminded me of Coraline (the film, I've never read the book *hides from Neil Gaiman fans* ) in which she travels to a version of her world where many of the faces are the same but the personalities are different. That being said, this book is still unique on its very own. Scrimger tastefully discusses a difficult subject with such respect for his readers, that alone deserves praise. While this book is written for middle grade audiences, its core message can resonate well with readers of all ages. Great book, would love to see this turned into an animated/stop-motion film! Many thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

A clever book that successfully makes you believe that there is a parallel universe that can be found if you venture into Toronto’s sewer network. The main character is a boy who is unable to cope with the loss of his dog. As the story unfolds, the reader finds there is much more than the loss of a dog that this grade 6 student is contending with.
The story is part fantasy and adventure but the nature of mourning a loss of a loved one is all too realistic.
It is also great to read a good story set in a Canadian city!

This certainly a bizarre story and aptly named. I like the character Bunny a person who is challenged in some ways and the unusual things that happen to Bunny and friends. Check it out, if you're looking for something out of the ordinary to read.

Interesting plot (parallel worlds) with a twist.

Downside Up was a very enjoyable read! Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop.
The narrator of the story is Fred, a 12 year old boy who had recently lost his dog. He is very depressed and he is having a heard time dealing with his death (readers discover that there is much more to his depression as the story unfolds). He stumbles upon a parallel world...a world that is nearly exactly the same as his own but one in which his dog is still alive.
The author does a good job with a difficult subject. As the story progresses, Fred learns that no one is ever really gone as long as they are remembered.
I would recommend this book for (at least) twelve and up. It is a complicated story that younger readers may not be able to grasp. Also, there are a few instances of mild language (dammit).

In Downside Up, author Richard Scrimger seeks to answer a question at the heart of the human condition: Can love be lost and, if lost, can it be found again? Downside Up follows the adventures of Fred, a sixth-grader haunted by the death of his beloved dog, Casey, when he accidentally falls into another world. This world appears to be an exact copy of his own—same school, same family, same home, even same him—except in this world the losses troubling Fred have never occurred and Casey is still alive. When Fred’s sister eventually finds her way into this alternate reality as well, they must decide, together, if it is truly better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Fred is a relatable and interesting character, who serves the story well as the narrator and the author does an excellent job of using dialogue styles to distinguish between Fred and his alternate reality self, Freddie. The twists, turns, and reveals throughout are poignant and keep the plot brisk and exciting, even if you have picked-up on the clues and have a sense of where the story is headed. The more fantastical elements that appear as the story progresses are balanced and grounded by the steady exploration of Fred’s emotions and grieving process. Scrimger also uses foreshadowing and meta-commentary on story structure to good effect. There are a few characters who seem superfluous, but, overall, the style is very in-step with the themes of the story, the characters are likable, and the story is touching.

Young readers will find a kindred spirit in Fred, will appreciate the imaginative magical realism, and, hopefully, will come away with the understanding that healing from loss is possible, though the road there may be long and winding.. and just might have a few dragons on it.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest review of it.

Downside Up
By: Richard Scrimger

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Magical realism which is perfect for children trying to cope with loss of some sort.
:
The story is about a young boy (Fred) who discovers a alternate world where people are happier and where lost people/ animals/ things exist. At first, the world seems perfect. Fred finds his alternate (Freddy) who is just subtly different. Freddy is happy and talks a lot. The mom and sister (Izzy) in this world are also more relaxed and happy. The best part is that his dog is alive. At first, being in this world and playing with his dog makes him so happy. However, he starts to find himself feeling sad and angry again. Fred is dissatisfied with his life (in both worlds) and can't figure out why.

Now, some reviewers have insisted that they didn't see this next plot point arriving but Amazon includes this reveal in their book description so I was waiting for it to appear. Fred's dad died in an accident. All throughout the book, we see Fred mourning his dog. 2/3rds of the way through we find he has blocked out all memory of his dad including his sudden death. Eventually, with the help of his sister and an unusual babysitter, he finds their father in the upside down world and keeps him from dying in a fiery car crash. In the alternate world, people don't have remains, they are carried off by dragons to a volcano when it is "their time". I know, dragons are a reality shift from the rest of the book but this all makes sense at the end. Keep reading!

At the end of the book, Fred and Izzy realize they have saved their father because they remember him. As long as they hold onto his memory, their Dad will really be alive (and not taken away by a dragon). This is rather deep thinking for a child but, like books written by C.S. Lewis, it is presented in a simple form and uses magic and animals as a route to comprehension.

In the last section, brother and sister (who have been in conflict all throughout the book) reconnect in a really beautiful way. The last chapter shows them finally mourning and coming to grips with the loss of their Dad. Spectacularly sensitive and nuanced writing. I loved that part.

Conclusion:
I highly recommend this book for any child about 10 and up. I don't think younger kids would be able to comprehend the ending and there are some incredibly sad moments. Mourning the death of a loved one (or any loss) can be a long process and this book takes the reader on part of this journey with Fred and Izzy.

I received a free copy of Downside Up from the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

If there's one thing I've learned in my 10+ years of being a Richard Scrimger fan, it's to expect the unexpected. Whether it's an alien from Jupiter who drinks hot chocolate and loves k d lang or how astoundingly relevant and realistic a book about a zombie in school is... There's always a moment in Scrimger's books that I never see coming, that makes my jaw drop.

So, Downside Up. I went into that book knowing it would surprise me. And it sure did -- more than I thought. This is a zany book about parallel universes that also happens to be a serious look at working through grief. This is a book that made me cry more than I expected it would. This is a book that contains more dragons than I ever would have imagined.

Beautifully-written, funny, sad. If someone asks for a good middle grade book, Richard Scrimger's books are first on my list to recommend. And Downside Up cemented that even further.

So good! Great book! Thank you Early Reviewers!

"I don't know how you can hold both ideas at once - real and not real - but I did."

I got a copy of this book for early review. The description caught my eye and I was expecting something absolutely amazing. This book was not bad, but it wasn't my favorite.

Overall, I really loved the story. It was cute and creative and enjoyable. It was a fun, light, quick read. It also portrayed emotions really well.

"Have you ever been sad? So sad you didn't want to talk to anyone. Or eat? Or get out of bed? That's how sad I was."
"'It's as if a dead tree has fallen across the road,' he said. 'You've got to get around it before you can continue your journey.'"
"If you're scared or mad, you can pretend - sometimes. But if you're happy, everyone knows."

I really loved the concept of a parallel world in which the things that people miss most still exist. I thought that was brilliant and executed quite amazingly. And using an object that is connected to whatever is missing as the key to the other world is a very creative idea. However, it was the dragon thing that threw me off.

Up until the dragons showed up, I was completely wrapped up in the book. But "Dragon Mountain" really confused me and I just wasn't into it. Everything (except for the parallel universe, but that was mentioned in the synopsis and was written very well) was going on like the real world... and then there were dragons. The concept of having dragons come sweep you off your feet and drop you into the mouth of a volcano when "the time comes" is an interesting idea, but I really just didn't like it.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. There were many parts that made me laugh ("I got up on the right side of the world this morning."), and it was altogether enjoyable. This is definitely a good book to read if you are in a reading slump or just want a light, fast-paced book.