How to Become a Planet

by Nicole Melleby

Overview

With the help of new friends and a planetarium hotline, thirteen-year-old Pluto goes on a journey of self-discovery, in this poignant story about mental health from acclaimed middle grade author Nicole Melleby.

A Publishers Weekly Best Middle Grade Book of 2021
One of The Nerd Daily's “Anticipated Queer Book Releases You Can’t Miss in 2021”
One of Lambda Literary's “May’s Most Anticipated LGBTQ Literature”

“Gorgeous.” —BuzzFeed

The two most important things to know about Pluto Timoney: (1) she’s always loved outer space (obviously); and (2) her favorite season is summer, the time to go to the boardwalk, visit the planetarium, and work in her mom’s pizzeria.

This summer, when Pluto’s turning thirteen, is different. Pluto has just been diagnosed with depression, and she feels like a black hole is sitting on her chest, making it hard to do anything. When Pluto’s dad threatens to make her move to the city—where he believes his money could help her get better—Pluto comes up with a plan to do whatever it takes to be her old self again. If she does everything that old, “normal” Pluto would do, she can stay with her mom. But it takes a new therapist, new tutor, and new (cute) friend with a plan of her own for Pluto to see that there is no old or new her. There’s just Pluto, discovering more about herself every day.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643750361
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	290,275
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Nicole Melleby is a born-and-bred Jersey girl with a passion for storytelling. She studied creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University and currently teaches creative writing and literature courses with a handful of local universities. When she’s not writing, she can be found browsing the shelves at her local comic shop or watching soap operas with a cup of tea.

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/01/2021

A month before seventh grade’s end, Pluto Jean Timoney is gripped with a desire to “just stop”; after her terrified mother breaks down her locked bedroom door, the 12-year-old is diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Uninterested in her traditional summer activities, such as hanging out on the Jersey Shore boardwalk with her erstwhile best friend Meredith, space-loving Pluto, who is white, creates a list of tasks that she believes will return her to “the real, full Pluto” who she was before the diagnosis. In her mind, accomplishing the list also means that she won’t have to live with her father in New York City, who thinks he can get her better care. Under her mother’s concerned watch at the family pizzeria, Pluto begins a tentative journey navigating her mental health while embarking on a friendship with gender-questioning Fallon. Sprinkled with astronomy-related metaphors related to a planet’s properties, this acutely observed, authentically told tale by Melleby (In the Role of Brie Hutchens...) thoughtfully portrays Pluto’s relationship with her worried single mother, the girl’s urgent desire to “be fixed,” and her intense—and at times overpowering—depressive episodes. Compassionate secondary characters and a strong sense of place further buoy the narrative. Ages 9–12. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Sprinkled with astronomy-related metaphors related to a planet’s properties, this acutely observed, authentically told tale by Melleby (In the Role of Brie Hutchens...) thoughtfully portrays Pluto’s relationship with her worried single mother, the girl’s urgent desire to 'be fixed,' and her intense—and at times overpowering—depressive episodes. Compassionate secondary characters and a strong sense of place further buoy the narrative.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Lambda Literary Awards finalist Melleby tackles the gravitational force of the youth mental health . . . Readers will find insight and compassion around setting realistic goals and navigating results that may not match initial expectations . . . A realistic, hopeful account of personal recovery and discovery.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“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.”
—Booklist

“The visceral details of the struggle to get out of bed, shower, and greet the day offer insight into the sheer weight of Pluto’s depression, and the frustrated efforts of family and friends to help, help, and keep helping are also compassionately portrayed.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Nuanced and honest to a fault, How to Become a Planet is an inspiring and educative story about how mental illness affects children and how peer and family acceptance can go a long way in fighting the isolation self-stigma often engenders.”
—The Nerd Daily

“Both empowering and comforting, How to Become a Planet will break your heart and infuse it with hope all at once. A beautiful, essential read.”
—Ashley Herring Blake, author of the Stonewall Honor book, Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World
 
“How do you solve a problem, when it feels like the problem is you? Sensitive, authentic, and expertly crafted, How to Become a Planet rockets readers on a young girl's wavering journey toward self-acceptance and recovery. Pluto's story pummels the heart, leaving it aching and tender—yet, like its hero, stronger as well.”
—Lisa Jenn Bigelow, author of the Lambda Literary Award book, Hazel's Theory of Evolution
 
“Melleby takes a sensitive and nuanced approach to portraying mental illness in How to Become a Planet. I loved getting pulled into the orbit of Pluto's life as she navigates diagnoses of depression and anxiety, changing relationships with her mom and classmates, and her first crush over the course of one summer. An accessible, inclusive, and beautifully hopeful story.” 
—A.J. Sass, author of Ana on the Edge
 

From the Publisher

★ 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

School Library Journal

2021-03-03
Dealing with depression and anxiety lies at the heart of this gentle coming-of-age story.

Lambda Literary Awards finalist Melleby tackles the gravitational force of the youth mental health crisis through Pluto, an astronomy-loving seventh grade girl facing struggles alongside her single mother at their family pizza shop on the Jersey shore. The scents and sounds of this summer hot spot make for a lively backdrop, but it’s not all fun and games at the boardwalk, as Pluto’s family deals with her new mental health diagnosis. Pluto’s worries are compounded by expectations, both external and internal, such as adjusting to new medications, meeting with a tutor to catch up with missed schoolwork, balancing the competing expectations of her divorced parents, and making headway on a self-assigned checklist she believes will help her feel better. Nervous about reconnecting with old friends and starting therapy, Pluto befriends Fallon, whose family runs another boardwalk business. As Fallon explores her gender identity, Pluto discovers they have a surprising and special bond. Pluto feels caught between her parents, as her father wants her to move in with him and his new girlfriend in the city, but ultimately, she articulates what she wants and learns to value herself and her complexities. Readers will find insight and compassion around setting realistic goals and navigating results that may not match initial expectations. Main characters present as White.

A realistic, hopeful account of personal recovery and discovery. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews