The Kid Who Named Pluto
Marc McCutcheon
(Reviewer - Rev. Marie D. Jones)
2004 Chronicle Books
ISBN: 081183770X

And the Stories of Other Extraordinary Young People in Science.

Associate Reviewer Rev. Marie D. Jones writes:

According to The Kid Who Named Pluto by Marc McCutcheon, kids should not only be seen & heard, they should be emulated as well. This book is filled with the true stories of real-life youngsters who did some pretty amazing things, including invent television, debunk medical myth, discover skeletal remains of a sea monster, & calculate the movement of the moon.

The outstanding contributions made to science by children & teens includes the creation of the Braille system, courtesy of young Louis Braille, whose heroic story is told here; as is the one of a lesser-known young man named Philo Farnsworth, who is the actual inventor of the television, & who had been relegated to the back seat of history until recently, when a major movie studio agreed to tell his story of inventiveness & determination.

We also meet young Mary Anning, a British girl who loved to look for fossils, & who became the “Princess of Paleontology” in a field of study that owes its existence to her girlish curiosity.
 • child math prodigy, Truman Henry Safford, who at the age of 7 began studying algebra & geometry.
 • a fourth-grade girl who outsmarted medical experts with her own school science fair project.
 • a prolific & creative teenager named Isaac Asimov, who grew up to change the face of modern science fiction.
 • a young gal who named the planet Pluto (it almost got stuck with “Zymal”.
 • a five-year-old named Robert Goddard who wanted to fly, & ended up having an entire space center named after him.

Illustrator Jon Cannell brings this lively book to a whole new depth of funky fun with his eye-popping line drawings, & the actual photographs of the inventors featured in the stories adds a real personal touch, allowing kids to see for themselves the faces of those whom have proved that age is not an indicator of genius.

These young people display such inventiveness, creativity & ingenuity that many adult readers may find themselves feeling a little, well, inadequate.

Children & children-at-heart of all ages will be empowered & inspired by the factual & fantastical tales of shortfolk who made big things happen in the world, despite the odds, obstacles & obstinate adults in their way.

For ages 9-14. More from Marc McCutcheon:
Damn! Why Didn't I Write That?: How Ordinary People are Raking in $100,000.00 ... or more Writing Nonfiction Books & How You Can Too!
Everyday Life in the 1800s: A Guide for Writers, Students & Historians.
Roget's Super Thesaurus & more!
(11/21/04)

Rev. Marie D. Jones
2004©Marie D. Jones
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Marie Jones is a New Thought minister, author of Looking For God In All The Wrong Places & a widely published writer of inspirational essays, gift books, short stories & magazine articles. She is also a screenwriter, & has produced a children's storybook video series for Gigglebug Farms Productions. she holds a Masters Degree in Metaphysical Studies & is a licensed pastoral counsellor.