The Silver Six

Gr 6 Up—After Phoebe's parents are killed when their shuttle mysteriously explodes, Phoebe and her robot, Max, hide her illegal orphan status for an entire year. When she is finally discovered and sent to Child Welfare Services, she and five other orphans discover their secret connection-all of their parents were killed on the same shuttle, and they all left their children identical Moon-registry documents. The plot unfolds from there, weaving themes of friendship and teamwork into an exciting sci-fi story that will keep readers turning the pages. Rawlings's illustrations are bright, colorful, cartoony, and so appealing that they could attract readers who are not mature enough to fully appreciate this story on all of its levels. Strictly judging by the cover, one might assume that this is a story about six children having a futuristic adventure, appropriate for third or fourth graders. But in reality, the story focuses primarily on Phoebe, who is 12 and who experiences several tragically painful circumstances, so The Silver Six is actually more appropriate for a slightly older audience.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library