 | How to become a planet Author: Melleby, Nicole | |
| Price: $8.19 | ||
Summary:
After an entire summer trying to figure out how to go back to being the person she was before her depression and anxiety diagnosis, twelve-year-old Pluto finds out--with the help of the Hayden Planetarium hotline, a new tutor, and a new friend--that there is no old or new Pluto, there's just Pluto, growing up.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.90 Points: 8.0 Quiz: 511802 |
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/15/2021 After the night she had a meltdown and her mother broke down her bedroom door, 12-year-old Pluto slid into depression and missed the last month of seventh grade. Now it's summer, and thanks to medication, Pluto can function, but she hasn't come back into herself entirely. She dreads seeing her best friend Meredith after ignoring her for so long, and she doesn't know if she'll be allowed into eighth grade. On top of that, her father wants her to come live with him in New York City. All of these factors shake her equilibrium, and she starts to lash out. But new friends help, as well as a therapist who guides her toward feeling more agency. Pluto's struggles to manage her depression are all very true to life, and Melleby handles the subject with respect and empathy. She extends that empathetic tone to the people in Pluto's orbit, who want to help but don't always know how, especially when their well-meaning attempts have unintended consequences. A character-driven novel with a hopeful tone that will resonate with many tweens. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 05/01/2021 Gr 3–7—Pluto's struggle with coming to terms with her anxiety and depression has caused her to miss 34 days of school. Her mom has agreed to tutor her from home so that she won't have to repeat seventh grade. But all is for naught, because Pluto is not cooperating. She's lost all her friends, doesn't attend to her studies, and doesn't take her daily meds, and her relationship with her mother is increasingly strained. Pluto doesn't have any idea what is happening or how to stop it. All she knows is that she can't spend her whole summer in bed, though she certainly has no plans to work at her mother's pizzeria on the town's boardwalk. Pluto forges an unexpected new friendship with Fallon, who wears boys' clothes and styles her hair like her brothers, but is still working out what that means for her. The two make a wish list of things to accomplish before summer's end. But Pluto is not prepared for the funny feelings in her stomach each time she finds herself in Fallon's presence. This middle grade story touches on the experience of first love, the transition to high school, and the struggle to find one's place in the world. Pluto is described as having blonde hair and gray eyes, while Fallon has blue eyes and curly brown hair. VERDICT A raw yet honest portrayal of a young person's experience with depression, this is a must-read for both middle grade readers and the teachers, counselors, parents, and other adults who interact daily with youth undergoing similar experiences.—Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden M.S., Newport News, VA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
