“An X-Files worthy mystery keeps the pages turning,” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) as Parker and his sister do whatever it takes to find their father in this cosmic adventure packed with action from the author of The Ability and Mindscape . Parker and his family share a secret: they can, with the help of advanced technology, communicate between themselves through their thoughts. When Parker, his dad, and sister Emma move to New York three years after his mother’s death, Parker is having a hard time. He misses London and his friends, his father is distracted with his new job, and Emma is looking out for him instead of the other way around. And then Parker’s dad, on the cusp of a technological breakthrough, is kidnapped. Thanks to a message his dad sent telepathically before the signal cut off, Parker is suddenly on a rescue mission. Now Parker and Emma, along with their friend Michael and Polly the pig, must confront the only link to their father—a dangerous man locked away in an asylum. But all the signs point to one thing: the company his dad works for is up to something big. Huge. A perfectly sinister project that threatens far more than Parker’s family. A project called SIX. Gr 4–6—British siblings Parker and Emma Banks have a lot on their plates: Emma is deaf, Parker is being bullied at their new American school, and their mother is dead. Their father, renowned scientist Dr. Geoffrey Banks, is often unavailable due to the hours he's putting in at his new job at Avecto. The three stay in contact with a telepathy device developed by Dr. Banks to help Emma communicate, but it doesn't help them talk about the things that really matter. Then Dr. Banks disappears, and Parker and Emma are the only ones who can rescue him—if they can figure out what he did at Avecto. Through many twists and turns, they discover that their father was developing teleportation technology to transport people to a new utopian planet called SIX, and that he has been unwillingly teleported there. Most issues are resolved, but some remaining loose threads make another installation possible. At close to 400 pages, there's a lot crammed into this book. The periodic action scenes keep the pages turning, but other plot elements seem unnecessary. Parker's bullying and the introduction of an albino pig only serve to bog down the story. Certain plot points smack of deus ex machina. For example, Parker has a wealthy sidekick whose money handily circumvents a variety of obstacles. VERDICT An additional purchase for ravenous readers of adventurous sci-fi.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY "Readers will be drawn into the story with its swift, adventurous plot." ― Booklist Online STARRED REVIEW: "Three kids, a pet pig and a helpful chauffeur must unravel a mystery of cosmic proportions. Creative details, likable characters and an X-Files-worthy mystery keep the pages turning, but it is the supportive and loving Banks family that makes this story shine. A surprise ending will encourage readers to think beyond the text and grapple with some real-world dilemmas. Inventive, entertaining and thought-provoking." ― Kirkus "Vaughan ( The Ability ) puts an intriguing spin on the classic SF conceits of teleportation and telepathy, providing a plausible way for these young heroes to face off against an all-powerful corporation. The open-ended conclusion leaves room for further exploration of a concept that is full of potential, and Vaughan’s considered portrayal of 10-year-old Emma, who doesn’t let her deafness slow her down in the least, is particularly well done." ― Publishers Weekly “This action-packed science fiction novel is a page-turner. Vaughan has created characters that the reader will root for, especially with the strong bond that she has established between Parker and Emma. Her imaginative gadgets and devices will delight fans.Recommended.” ― School Library Connection M.M. Vaughan (also known as Monica Meira) lives in the UK. She loves to write, to listen to Janis Joplin, and to embark on adventures of any kind. She is the author of The Ability , Mindscape , Six , and Me and My Friendroid . Six CHAPTER ONE 71:38 Parker had been a student at River Creek Middle School in Upstate New York for only five days, but he already knew that he hated it. It wasn’t just that he missed his school and friends back in England, or the farmhouse he had grown up in, or even that he had been forced to move less than an hour away from where his mother had died. Mostly, he thought, as he sat at his desk listening to the whispers around him, it was that he had never felt so alone. Parker watched as Jenna skipped to the front of the class. She twirled around, sending her two brown plaits flying out on either side of her head, then looked at her friend in the front row and giggled. “Whenever you’re ready,” said Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ford clasped her hands and leaned over her desk, beaming as if this was the presentation she