It's probably been 25 years or more since the previous time I read this book, but something compelled me to pick it up again the other day. I was naturally expecting that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered, but if anything it's better! A completely fun jaunt through Heinlein's future, most of it just background to the story, which is about a small-town lad and his pet, an alien critter that had been smuggled back to Earth a hundred years back by his great great grandfather. The other characters in the book are interesting and well drawn, and the mother is sufficiently annoying that it's obvious the target audience of the book was teens and young adults. This read confirms the book's place as my very favorite of Heinlein's juvenile titles. ( )

A classic Heinlein juvenile, one of the few with a strong female character. The full-cast audio version is extremely well done.

It's not a traditional YA novel. There's a diplomatic crisis and a courtroom drama in the novel. There's not really any action, but there's a lot of excellent character interaction, especially the YA leads, Betty and John Thomas with "The Star Beast" named Lummox.

Many of the characters aren't as fleshed out as they could be (e.g., John Thomas's mother), but I love the young leads and the overall story. The full-cast audio adds an extra dimension to a good story. ( )

The star beast is the story of Lummox, the pet of John Thomas Stuart XI, whose great-grandfather brought Lummie back from one of his space jaunts. One day, Lummie decides to eat the roses in a neighbor's garden and things escalate. Bring in the Department of Spatial Affairs, a missing alien, a court trial and things get out of control quickly.

This is one of the novels for young readers that Robert Heinlein wrote in the 1950s. The advances in technology today have outpaced what was even imagined at that time. Computers for the Department of Spatial Affairs take up a whole building and there are no cell phones. But the story itself is endearing and the ending is not quite what one expects. ( )

Uneven and disappointing, for while there were interesting interactions, the inconsistency of his message with respect to non-terrestrial beings was irritating, and his social flaws more so. Yes, product of the times...heard it.

I read one review that said this book had Heinlein's first strong female character. Maybe, but when that character has "very nearly as good a head on her as a man, and pretty to boot"? Much work to do as a progressive human, Mr. Heinlein.

Asimov wasn't a fraction of the sexist that Heinlein was. Nor as preachy. The first third of the book read like "look what I know about trial procedures."

As I read through Heinlein in mostly publication order, I am still waiting to see what set him apart as the first grandmaster, let alone one of the Big Three. ( )

This audio boook is the story of Lumex. A pet of the 23rd century. A large dionsaur like creature that has been in John Thomas's family for generations.

Like the other books in the Scribes Juvenile series it is a stand alone story of one ~18 year old "boy" in Heinlein's universe, each book going forward a generation from previous (starting in 1950). Like the other "FullCast Audio" recordings, this is "cinematically" beautiful.

John Thomas is supposed to go off to college, But he can't take Lumex with him. His mom will go at any lenghth to try to get rid of him. Lumex goes for a walk on his own and practically destroys the town. The city government wants to put him down. Bu "The boy with the famous name" will do anything to stop it, even if it means running away, maybe to join a circus.

Low and behold Lumex may not be what we have thought he was for generations. His alien subjects come to save their beloved heroshia, and try to start world war 5 over it.

Recommended. ( )