Soleil Akeelah Miniongui Cross, named after the Sun and known as Dr. Soleil, from Atlanta, Georgia (U.S.) is a gifted and creative African American and Gabonese seven-year-old girl who learned how to read and write at the age of two and always had a love and passion for space, STEM, and telling stories. “Pluto- Special, Just the Same Dwarf Planet” is her first published children’s book.

When Soleil is not writing stories about the SolRizing Team’s missions across the universe with her best friends Froggy and Earth, this inspiring astronaut, scientist, and author conducts science experiments, reads books, bakes, solves math problems, and entertains her family, and friends.

Soleil’s personal mission is to jump on the moon and be the youngest astronaut to walk and conduct experiments on Mars.