"If you can see it, you can be it." When I was growing up in the 1970s, I certainly was not aware that there were any women astronauts, and this book really lays out the historical reasons why I didn't see any of these pioneering women during my formative years. Even though I was allowed to stay up late in July of 1969 to see men walk on the moon, the journey of these six women (Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Rhea Saddon, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Anna Fisher) is really even more impressive than that first spectacular mission.

I liked how we get to see a lot of each women's growing up years; this is especially good for young readers who haven't experienced the difficulties that women had going into certain fields in the 1960s. That all of them were able to pursue science fields, thinking they would be good preparation for getting NASA programs, is remarkable in itself. I was especially interested to read about Saddon, Lucid, and Fisher, since I hadn't really heard of them. The fact that Saddon and Fisher were pregnant while pursuing careers in space was fascinating; my mother almost had to stop teaching when she was pregnant, so the pressure to keep this fact hidden must have been immense.

After learning about the women's early years, we get a good look at how their experience with NASA was. Having to compete against each other for key roles, such as being the US woman to go into space, must have been very difficult. The book does a great job at laying out relationships without the space program, challenges that were faced, and personal difficulties that played into each woman's career.

Perhaps my favorite scene in the book is the portrayal of Nichelle Nichols, of Star Trek fame, filming a recruitment ad for NASA aimed especially at women and people of color. Had I seen THAT when I was preparing for college, I might have been much more interested in space.

Massimino's Spaceman (Adapted for Young Readers): The True Story of a Young Boy's Journey to Becoming an Astronaut (2020), Buckley's Michael Collins: Forgotten Astronaut (2019), Bolden's Star Sailor (2024), but it's much harder to find books specifically about women in the space program. This is a long book (at 342 pages, only 100 pages shorter than the adult version), and the ARC didn't have any pictures in it, so it's a better choice for more mature middle grade readers who have a decided interest in women's history or NASA. More casual readers will want to pick up the fantastic book by O'Shaughnessy, Sally Ride: A Photobiography of America's Pioneering Woman in Space, which does a great job of telling one of the stories of The Six, beautifully illustrated with a wealth of Ride's personal photos, which is still one of my favorite biographies.

The Six: Young Readers Edition, was an inspiring piece of media. It is perfect for young readers especially girls and those interested in the STEM fields. Even as a fan of space and spaceflight in general this book taught me many things I didn't know. The book went deep into the sexism of the time and the personal histories of the women involved.

It also explored more about the space missions of the 1980's. It taught me about some of the satellites the Six helped launch. Another cool focus was learning about how the robotic arm on the space shuttle worked and some of the medical missions that went on in space.

I also liked the interaction between the Russian and American astronauts and cosmonauts. It was a unique highlight considering The Cold War going on at the time. It was a great short read and I'd like to pick up the adult version at some point. Five stars for both the detail of the research and the personal touch of the book made it feel special. It included interviews from the still living astronauts and their families.