“Hundred Percent” by Karen Romano Young is an honest and hilarious glimpse into the total and utter awkwardness that is the 6th grade. Whether you’ve already experienced middle school or aren’t quite there yet, we’re sure you’ll find a character to relate to in this book full of fantastically quirky kids just trying to survive their final year of elementary school.
Christine “Tink” Gouda is about to head in to her first day of 6th grade, and everything is about to change forever. Nothing seems to fit Tink quite right this year – from her clothes to her best friend and even her nickname. While things seem to come really easy to her naturally cute and totally boy crazy BFF Jackie – Tink struggles hard with all the things that keep changing so quickly all around her. Tink often finds herself stuck somewhere between her childhood and her teenage years, trying to figure it all out without totally falling apart – a struggle we’ve all experienced while growing up.
Throughout the book Tink tries to fit in to her “Chris” (short for Christine) persona, but finds that it just doesn’t really suit her. She tries to keep up with Jackie’s newfound interest in boys and being a part of the “circle girls” (the popular group at school), but Jackie’s not so sure she wants to leave Tink behind just yet, so she keeps dragging her along with her. Even though Tink is used to taking the sidekick role with Jackie, from letting her choose their Halloween costumes to the things they do when they hang out – she’s slowly discovering that her and Jackie aren’t quite the friends they once were, and she’s making bold choices and decisions to stand up for herself and try to have a voice and identity of her own. This doesn’t always work in her favor and generally causes a big mess, but Tink is just trying to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be, one mishap at a time.
From horrible picture day outfits to changing friendships and first crushes,
Tink’s 6th grade year is always brutally honest, uncomfortable, and not always easy, but
Tink learns to see things through a new perspective and it helps her appreciate her family, friends, and life in a brand new way. While we may not all have quite as much drama in our lives as
Tink, all of her scenarios are pretty relatable for anyone who’s ever felt left behind or insecure. The book is filled with laugh out loud funny moments (and lots of cringe-worthy catastrophes) that’ll keep you hooked from cover to cover.
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