Book Reviews and More: Planet of the Nose Pickers - Gordon Korman

Planet of the Nose Pickers

Nose Pickers from Outer Space Book 2

L.A.F. Books

Gordon Korman

Bictor Vaccaro (Illustrator)

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN 9780786825714

ISBN 0786825715

This book was originally published in 2000, with five different editions publishing that year under a variety of imprints. It is the second in a series of 4 and there is a box set edition available called “The Ultimate Nose Pickers Collection”. My introduction to Korman’s works was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read over 70 of his books including this volume, a few of them more than once. I set the goal of reading all his books about 2020. I am over half way thorough his canon, I have completed all the stand alone books and am now just working my way through the remaining series. I have read at least 1 from every series. Not counting omnibus editions I believe that as of the summer of 2025 Korman has published 109 books. With each that I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son, who is 17 often, reads these books to me or with me, and he still loves them.

The description of this volume states:

“When Devin discovered that Stan, the foreign exchange student his family was hosting, actually came from another planet, rather than another state, it took a little work, but he managed to deal with it. And when he learned that his teacher was a UFO nut who was hot on Stan's tail, well, he found ways to protect his friend; but the trouble was only beginning. For Stan is actually a travel agent from the planet Pan, trying to get Earth selected as Pan's next premier vacation destination. Unfortunately, he is in competition with Pan's foremost agent, Shkprnys (who visited our planet under the name Shakespeare a few centuries ago), who is promoting Mercury as the destination of choice. When Shkprnys cheats, and gets Mercury selected, it spells death for the human race, as the planet Earth will be towed out to the outer rim of the solar system, to provide mercury with a better view of Saturn's rings ... and freezing our entire planet. To save the Earth, Devin and Stan must accompany the Smarty-Pants back to Pan, to argue their case with the planet's supreme leader, the Grand Pant. But with the bizarre social structure of Pan, it may be impossible to even get to see the Grand Pant, much less convince him to save the Earth. Can our reluctant heroes save the day.”

The description on the back of the edition I read states:

“Another intergalactic gross-out!

Ever since Devin met Stan from Pan, his very own alien exchange student, things haven't been the same. There is the constant problem nose picking, which is actually Stan working his mini nasal computer. But most important, Devin and Stan still have to figure out how to make Earth the official vacation planet of Pan, or will be moved out past Pluto—turning it into frosty Earthsicle!.”

About the author at the back of the first volume in this series wewe are informed:

“Gordon Korman is the author of over twenty books for children. Including The 6th Grade Nickname Game, which was selected as one of the New York Public Library's Best Books of 1998, and the Monday Night Football Club series. Gordon lives with his family on Long Island.”

About the illustrator:

“Victor Vaccaro's artwork has appeared in the children's book Knights of the Endless Day by Robert Priest, as well as being featured on several book jackets and in advertisements. He lives on Long Island with his wife.”

I highlighted a few passages that were particularly funny, some of them are:

“Rule 47: When you live with an alien, you’ve got to be willing to make a few changes in your life.”

“ Ialready knew who the guy really was, but it was still a shock to see him and hear the way he talked. Shkprnys was Shakespeare — William Shakespeare, the famous writer from four hundred years ago!

It was a long, crazy story. Shakespeare wasn’t he wasn’t even Shakespeare he was an alien named Shkprnys. He lived on Earth and wrote his plays all those years ago when he was a Training Pant. But Pants can live to be a thousand. So Shakespeare the real Shakespeare!—was alive and well, and working for Mercury.”

“I knew that already. I’d seen a ship from Pan. I recognized the shape—shallow and eight-sided, like a giant stop sign. The door started as a tiny dot, then grew and grew. A staircase descended, and a red carpet unrolled across the lawn.”

“That’s where wed hidden the spaceship. And just in case someone peeked in the window, we had it draped with a New York Yankees tarpaulin that Zgrbnys and Gthrmnys happened to have in the cargo bay.”

“Stan shook his head. “You see, Ama is right next to the entrance to hyperspace. In hyper¬ space, we can pick up a shortcut all the way to Pan on the other side of the galaxy. We Pants call it the Pan-Ama Canal.””

I hope those quotes give you a feel for the humour in this series. The chapters in this volume are:

I My Friend the Alien

2 The UFO Nut

3 Who Crashed the Flying Saucer?

4 Uncle Zack and Uncle Gus 2

5 Nose Pickers on TV

6 All Aboard for Outer Space

7 A Floating Mushroom

8 Alien Abduction

9 Left Turn at the Globular Cluster

10 Pants-portation

11 #1 The Beltway

12 Filet of Phone Book

13 Twelve Thousand New E-mails

14 Double-Crossethed!

15 Two hundred Years in Prison

16 A Werewolves Convention

17 The Great Millennial Vault

18 Why Manhole Covers Are Round

19 Class A, All the Way

I was surprised by the number of famous people whose success was attributed to their being alien travel testers. Shakespeare, Mark McGuire, even the model for the Mona Lisa. Devin and Stan have an even more intense adventure in this second instalment in the series. They have to travel to pan and save earth from becoming a Popsicle. It is a story young readers will love, even reluctant readers will pick up this story.

I will be honest the title of this book and series had almost no appeal to me, but after the first one I know I was in for a really fun series! This book took me by surprise, even more fun than book 1. I laughed out loud, I was surprised by Shakespeare’s dirty tricks. And I was amused and had a smile throughout the reading of this book. If the remain half of this series are as good as the first 2 will great fun to read them.

A great pity this one is out of print!

Books by Gordon Korman:

MacDonald Hall Series:

This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall (1978)

Go Jump in the Pool (1979)

Beware the Fish! (1980)

The Wizzle War (1982)

(formerly The War With Mr. Wizzle)

The Zucchini Warriors (1988)

Light’s Camera, Disaster (1991)

(aka Macdonald Hall Goes Hollywood)

The Jokes on Us (1995)