Janet and Isaac Asimov’s Norby and the Oldest Dragon is a space adventure for 9 year olds about a boy, his mixed-up robot and a dragon who won’t come to her own daughter’s birthday party.<\/p>\n
Jeff Wells is a space cadet, and his robot Norby is small, barrel-shaped and has only half a head. Norby can fly, jump through hyperspace and talk to Jeff by touch, but because of his strange alien parts he gets things muddled at the worst possible moments. He also gives LOTS of advice (mostly about socks).<\/p>\n
This weekend they’re off to the planet Jamya, where the Grand Dragon is having a birthday party. The dragons there are friendly, they wear gold antigravity collars, and the Grand Dragon bakes her own bread. Jeff’s handsome older brother Fargo is the guest everybody wants. Jeff feels like he was only invited because nobody can get to Jamya without Norby.<\/p>\n
Then a message arrives. Her Dragonship’s mother has turned down the invitation again. She’s lived alone as a hermit on the farthest island for fifty years, and the only answer she ever sends is no. The Grand Dragon bursts into tears all over the salad. Jeff, fed up with the party, offers to go and check on her.<\/p>\n
Of course Norby gets it wrong. His first jump sends them back in time to a swampy planet before the dragons even existed. When they do find the right island, something enormous with glowing eyes is waiting in the cave.<\/p>\n
It’s a gentle, funny kind of science fiction. Norby is the star. He brags (“I am a very brainy device”), sulks when his feelings are hurt and hides behind Jeff at the first sign of a monster. Their arguments are the best part.<\/p>\n
There’s a nice feeling underneath too. Jeff is grumpy for most of the party because he feels second best next to his brother. Plenty of younger brothers and sisters will know that one.<\/p>\n
One thing to mention. Jeff is fifteen, which is well above this shelf, and a girl cadet gives him a quick kiss goodbye. But the story itself is written simply, with nothing frightening that isn’t soon funny, so it sits comfortably with younger readers who like robots and dragons. It’s a later adventure in the series, and the dragons already know Jeff and Norby, though it’s easy to follow.<\/p>\n
If they’d like to see how Jeff and Norby got to know the dragons, go back to Norby and the Invaders, where a little dragon called Zargl is visiting Earth for Admiral Yobo’s birthday party when Norby starts picking up a strange signal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Janet and Isaac Asimov’s Norby and the Oldest Dragon is a space adventure for 9 year olds about a boy, his mixed-up robot and a dragon who won’t come to her own daughter’s birthday party. Jeff Wells is a space cadet, and his robot Norby is small, barrel-shaped and has only half a head. Norby […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11952,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"lr_next_read_post_id":8308,"lr_next_read_anchor":"Norby and the Invaders","lr_seo_hook":"A mixed-up robot, a boy and a hermit dragon who won't come to the party."},"book_tag":[1045],"age_group":[24],"book_type":[1044],"book_author":[1226,435],"class_list":["post-8310","our-books","type-our-books","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","book_tag-adventure-books","age_group-books-for-9-year-olds","book_type-paid","book_author-isaac-asimov","book_author-janet-asimov"],"yoast_title":"Norby and the Oldest Dragon by Janet Asimov & Isaac Asimov | Little Reads","yoast_metadesc":"A mixed-up robot, a boy and a hermit dragon who won't come to the party. For ages 9+. 3,000+ books in the Little Reads app. 7-day free trial.","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n