Tink is heading into sixth grade, her last year in elementary school and she must deal with everything from her body suddenly changing to the ever increasing strain between her and her best friend, Jackie's, friendship. Hundred Percent is an authentic and true look into the mind and life of a girl transitioning from a child to a young adult.
When Grace is called to work in the Big House from the slave cabins, her family warns her to keep her eyes down and watch her mouth, or there could be disastrous consequences. But she makes a grave mistake, and she and her family must flee deep into the dangerous woods, braving slave patrollers, deadly wild animals, and the uncertainty that they will ever be free.
Michael O'Shaunessey, like all his other classmates, is part of the Hitler Youth. He participates in their book burnings and horrific games, but he secretly despises everything the Nazis stand stand for. He has a dangerous secret that he must protect at all costs, he and his parents are spies. He is just playing the part so he can get insider information. Soon he hears about Projekt 1065, a secret Nazi war mission that he has to stop. But to do that he must prove his loyalty to the Third Reich no matter the cost...
Petra’s father has been summoned to Prague by the prince to build the world’s finest astronomical clock. But when he returns home blind with the prince having stolen his eyes, she knows she must steal them back. Along the way, she discovers hidden talents and finds that many people in the castle are not what they seem.
When Saville’s father is struck ill, she will do anything to survive, even pretending to be a boy to sew a fine coat for the king. But rumors are spreading about an immortal duke and his army of giants marching to seize the king’s throne. Soon, two giant scouts come and terrorize the city, but she tricks them into leaving. Stories of the brave and quick-witted tailor quickly turn into tales of giant-slaying. So it is left to the courageous and clever tailor girl to stop the duke’s army and save the kingdom.
I don’t normally recommend books about elementary school kids to teens, but this is an exception. Especially a book about a hot topic in the news: transgender rights. See Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s recent speech here. From the speech, here's a quote that gets me in the feels:
When the headmaster of St. Norbert's Home for Wayward Boys puts Peter and his mates on board a ship called the Never Land, the orphans expect bad food, seasickness and hard labor. They never anticipate meeting Molly, a young Starcatcher, or battling pirates in an effort to protect the magical "starstuff" from the wrong people. A vicious, foul-smelling pirate called Black Stache, his crew of savages and a greedy ship's captain all vie for a trunk filled with the powerful starstuff.
