Norby Finds a Villain

Janet and Isaac Asimov's Norby Finds a Villain is a zippy space adventure for 9 year olds about a boy, his accident-prone robot and a clown who isn't what he seems.

What happens

Jeff is a cadet at Space Academy, which orbits Mars. Norby is his robot. He's shaped like a barrel, with eyes on the front and back under a dome-shaped hat, and he can travel through hyperspace. He's also VERY good at causing trouble.

It opens with Norby landing Rinda, a young princess from another planet, and her little robot Pera right in Jeff's shower. Ten minutes before an exam! Then Norby hacks into Space Command's secret files while trying to get show tickets. Oops.

At the show, a clown called Threezy grabs Pera and vanishes through a trap door in his magic box. Jeff and Norby chase after him through hyperspace. They find he's stolen Space Command's only hyperdrive ship, and he's carrying two bombs and a plan to wreck the universe.

Is Threezy who he says he is? Norby's not so sure...

It's light and quick, with lots of banter. Norby is a proper character (when Jeff tells him he's talking through his hat, Norby says that's how he talks). The robots chat to Jeff by telepathy when they touch him. And the huge, grumpy Admiral Yobo turns out to be a big softie who can't bear to see anyone cry.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Jeff is fifteen, quite a bit older than this shelf. The shower scene is played for laughs (he grabs a washcloth fast!), and Rinda, who's eleven, is a bit flirty with him. The villain also threatens Jeff with a stun gun. None of it is graphic. For a child who loves robots and space silliness it's a fun ride, but a younger reader might be happier sharing it with you.

What to read next

Jeff and Norby already know Rinda and Pera from an earlier adventure. Norby and the Lost Princess is in the library too, from when Jeff is fourteen and Admiral Yobo sends him, his brother Fargo and Norby off to find a group of humans who may have been taken from Earth in the Ice Age.