Customer Reviews

The Norby Chronicles

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Much of science fiction is focused on intergalactic intrigue and space warfare; huge plots that dwarf individual emotions and struggles.

Not so with the Norby series. These stories are about a group of people who get the chance to travel through space and time. Each of the characters grows on the reader and there are many humorous occurences.

In the first book, the main character Jeff Wells uses a voucher to purchase a new school robot. The one he chooses seems to have a mind of its own and gets offended when criticized for singing badly. Norby may not look impressive with an old nail barrel as a body, but he has certain abilities and a strange past...

Jeff is a low-key teenager who is gentle, perceptive, and patient. He is the right companion for Norby who is often bossy, irritable, and mixed up. While Norby is difficult to deal with, Jeff usually remembers that his robot's feelings are easily hurt. The stories tend to revolve around this friendship but other characters such as Jeff's older brother Fargo, his girlfriend Albany Jones, and Admiral Yobo are almost always in the story as well with their own contributions to make.

The Norby series is usually consigned to the children's shelf, but I believe it is excellent literature for anyone.