The Girl Who Named Pluto is a gentle story. It tells how a child becomes interested in astronomy and how she interacts with the adult scientific world.

Venetia Burney was a child in 1930 when she suggested “Pluto” as the name for the ninth planet. I loved how this book shows her interactions with adults. We see her fascination with her schoolteacher’s lesson. We watch her conversations with her science-minded grandfather. And, ultimately, we see these grown-ups lead her to other grown-ups who acknowledge her contribution.

Don’t miss the back matter! It’s there you find Venetia Burney’s reaction when Pluto was demoted from planet status. (She said, “I suppose I would prefer it to remain a planet.”) There is a charming photo in the back matter of her as a schoolgirl, too.

The art is by graphic novelist Elizabeth Haidle. The text is set up as a traditional picture book, but several spreads use graphic novel techniques in the page layout.

This is a fun book about the way amateurs–including children–can engage with the world of science.

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle. Schwartz & Wade: 2019.