Pluto's Secret: An Icy World's Tale of Discovery

Gr 2–4—Published in association with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, this whimsical look at what once was the smallest planet is more serious than the colorful cartoon illustrations and the text of Plutonian thoughts might lead readers to believe. The ninth planet from its discovery in 1930 to its demotion in 2006, Pluto has been revealing more of its "secrets" as technology improved, and is now considered a "dwarf planet" in the Kuiper belt. The informal text covers such events as the naming of this new object ("'Yuck!' thought the little world" at most of the suggestions). This chattiness makes for fun reading ("I'm not worried. Whatever you call me, I'm fine out here," said Pluto), but deftly imparts scientific knowledge about deep space investigation, the process of change due to new data, and the cooperative effort of astronomers to formalize such changes on a global level. The book provides a factual history of our faraway "dwarf," and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars. A more straightforward history of Pluto's discovery complete with some black-and-white photos, a who's who of people and astronomical objects, and suggested further readings and websites are appended. A "Note from the Museum" describes the convention and process whereby Pluto received its new designation. A lighthearted and informative presentation.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY