How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto: The cutting edge space science of the solar system

by Dean Regas

Pluto has not been a planet since 2006. But this tiny world still inspires people of all ages while sparking controversy. In this delightfully witty book, astronomer Dean Regas teaches you how to educate your grown-up about the cutting-edge science of space, most crucially the reason why Pluto is NOT a planet any more. Delving into the history of space discoveries, the key players who have helped our understanding of the universe (including the 11-year-old girl who named Pluto in the first place) and the ever-changing nature of science, this book will equip every reader with the tools they need to bring their grown-ups fully up to speed, and to sneak in as many amazing astronomical facts as possible. And there’s a handy quiz at the end so that you can check your grown-up has been paying attention!

Genres: Science, Childrens, Nonfiction, Space

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful. A must read for adults and kids alike. Educational, fun, wonderful illustrations -- a home run in very way.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via Net Galley.

[Christine LaBatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book for kids to teach them (and adults) about Pluto! It goes through the history of the discovery of Pluto and then why Pluto was declassified from being a planet. It is super informative about a lot of space ideas too. I thought it did a great job of breaking down these more complex ideas for kids (and adults!). Plus all the illustrations were so cute!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains the history of planet discoveries and why the decision was made to make Pluto into a dwarf planet. You will learn how objects in space are classified as asteroids, comets, dwarf planets, moons, and of course the eight planets.

I loved the attractive design of this book! The artwork is so cute and fun, and Pluto is depicted as this scrappy little ice planet guy with a happy expression. I love that the book sort of personifies the planets in a funny way! It makes the features of the planets and other space objects really memorable.

The writing really grabs your attention and makes the information interesting. It's like reading an exciting story about the history of the people who discovered different planets and asteroids. I also like that the book addresses the fact that some people really are upset about Pluto not being a planet, and it's okay to be upset and emotional about it. But the author encourages the reader to embrace changes in science as new discoveries are made, and look at all the facts logically.

I didn't like the sassy attitude of the premise of children teaching grown ups about science. I know it's supposed to be funny and cute, but sometimes it came across as too aggressive and disrespectful.
If you want to open up a conversation with an adult and talk about how new scientific discoveries have changed the definition of a planet, is it really best to start with the attitude that the other person is ignorant and "set in their ways"?
It's not cute. It's belligerent, and the book assumes that there will be an argument and that the adult will be difficult to talk to. That's not a healthy attitude for anyone! Instead of approaching it with an attitude of learning together, this book encourages children to approach it like a contest of knowledge to prove that they "know more" than the other person. Can't we just learn together side by side? Does it have to become an argument between the "educated" person and the "ignorant" person? I was very disappointed in this approach.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With his distinctive writing voice and a nod to his intended intermediate and middle grade audience, astronomer Dean Regas provides tips for how to teach adults about Pluto. His knowing attitude reveals that he's on the side of youngsters today who often struggle to help the older members of their family understand technology and even science and space. His book, slyly intended to help them get up to speed on the topic of Pluto, actually functions as a primer about the planet for young readers. After all, there's been controversy about Pluto losing its status as a planet ever since it was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006, reducing the number of planets to eight. But as Regas points out, there have been other times when astronomers identified many more planets than nine and other instances, especially in the early days of the science, where there were fewer ones. With various cartoonlike illustrations accompanying the text, the book explains why Pluto is no longer considered a planet, how it was discovered, and provides all sorts of information about Pluto and the other planets. And then, if readers want to test their comprehension of the reading, there's a quiz at the end of the book. This informational book from Britannica includes plenty of interesting facts, offered in a unique and appealing way. I'd certainly use it in my science class during lessons on space and the planets.

[Briel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever, engaging, and adorable! My seven year old LOVES space and knows far more about it than I do/ever did, so we each read this book independently and each loved it! The concept of teaching kids about Pluto and the other celestial objects through the guise of telling them how to educate the out of touch grownups was a cute concept and one I think kids in the targeted age range (9-12) would definitely find appealing. The book is packed with scientific facts, interesting infographics, and engaging illustrations, managing a perfect balance of facts and fun. My daughter learned new tidbits about the solar system which was encouraging as we have read/watched so much about the planets that the facts have started to become repetitive in most of the other books geared toward kids. Since our knowledge of space is constantly evolving, it is surprisingly hard to find books for kids that educate them about space using our current findings in a way that is still fun! How to Teach Grownups About Pluto definitely fits the bill!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Publisher Spotlight for the advance electronic copy that both my daughter and I enjoyed thoroughly!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-fiction book about planets and the history of astronomy is so much more than your average space book! Based on the premise that millennial (and older) parents are reluctant to confirm to the notion that Pluto is not actually a planet, this book prepares children with the information required to win an argument with their parents about why Pluto is not a planet. Through hilarious additional content, such as describing the 5 stages of grieve grown ups might go through, silly pictures, and interesting chapter themes, this book teaches a lot of really important information without feeling like a typical non-fiction or educational text. As a grade 3 teacher I can definitely see this book being a hit in my classroom. And as a millennial who grew up with nine planets I would recommend the section on the stages of grief to my peers (just kidding). This is a great book and I think kids in the 9-12 age range will love it. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this great book!

[Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Science is a living, breathing, changing adventure. That's what makes science so fun!"

The tongue in cheek premise is that kids are helping their grown-ups to let go of the need to argue about Pluto's demotion from planet to "dwarf planet." It gives a great overview of the discovery timeline of the objects in our solar system and why they fit into different categories.

I love this book because while it's a great middle grade science book with cute illustrations, it's also about information literacy. It's introducing kids (and maybe their grown-ups as well) to the idea that the scientific community changing its mind when it learns new information is a feature, not a bug. It's fun and easy to understand, a great book for your curious kid that may also teach you a few things about scientific discovery and debate as well.

This book includes a bibliography, index, and glossary.

[Diana N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book is cute!

I read this book with my elementary aged kids. While the concept is fun of telling grown-ups about Pluto, but I think it spends too much time on the telling instead of the actual facts. That made my kids start to lose interest in parts due to the book seeming to ramble a bit much.

The bright spot in this book is the detailed facts and illustrations to go along with it.

Overall cute concept, but would have read better with just a snippet of how to tell grown-ups as an introduction and conclusion with straight just facts in between.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

[Ramona Cantaragiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best science books for children I've ever read. The author is genuinely funny and I feel like you learn more in the 30 minutes required for reading the book than in an entire course on astronomy and Pluto. Regas takes you through history, emphasizes that our notion about what a planet is has changed dramatically as we learnt more about the universe and then shows you that Pluto is great even though is no longer considered a planet. On top of that, Regas manages to get you excited by what could be discovered next and this is a sign of a very good science communicator.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun humor filled but scientifically relevant children's nonfiction book about Pluto written by an astronomer who designs the book at a tool for children to use to convince their parents that Pluto is not a planet anymore. It goes from the discover of Pluto to the well reasoned decision by astronomers to make it a dwarf planet in 2006. Aaron Blecha's illustrations make the reading more fun and kid friendly. Recommend for 4 to 6th graders who like astronomy or interested in planets.

[Jacaranda21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and written in a fun way. However, still a lot to take in for kS2 readers. Like the illustrations, comic feel about them. The time lines, glossary and little quiz are excellent as a way to summarise the detail.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely learned some new things about space and Pluto from this book. It made me want to do more comprehensive research on the topic. 4/5 stars

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I'm the grown-up who need to learn about Pluto, not being a planet... anymore. Informative and funny at the same time

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Very Informative in a readable way.

[Lisa Horsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s very cute. It purports to be a reference for a child to teach their adult that Pluto is really cool, but not a planet like it was when we were kids. It even has quizzes at the end.