A01=Dan Poblocki
A01=Eureka O'Hara
A12=Ricardo Bessa
Acceptance theme
ages 10 11 12 13
art and creativity novel
Author_Dan Poblocki
Author_Eureka O'Hara
Author_Ricardo Bessa
bisexual awareness
books for reluctant readers
books for teenagers
books for teens
Category=YFB
Category=YXB
Character growth
children
coming into your own story
coming out stories
Coming-of-age story
Courageous characters
Dan Poblocki book
Diversity in fiction
drag
drag artistry
drag performer
drag queen
Drag queen story
drag queen story hour
Emotional journey
empathy and acceptance book
Empowerment book
Engaging story
eq_bestseller
eq_childrens
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_personal-social-topics
eq_teenage-young-adult
Eureka O'Hara book
friendship
Friendship book
friendship focused novel
Fun read
gay awareness
gay literature
gay pride
gender diversity
heartfelt
Heartwarming tale
Humorous book
identity and belonging book
Identity exploration
Inclusion book
inclusive middle grade fiction
Inspirational story
Jackson bright
jackson bright In the Spotlight book
joyful
kids
kids performance arts story
LGBT literature
LGBTQ
LGBTQ activism
LGBTQ books
LGBTQ community
LGBTQ empowerment
LGBTQ fiction
LGBTQ history
LGBTQ literature
LGBTQ reads
Life
Memorable book
middle grade
middle grade contemporary fiction
Middle grade fiction
middle grade novel
modern realistic fiction kids
nonbinary characters
Overcoming obstacles
Pageant book
pageant competition story
pageants
performance art
Personal journey
Positive message book
pride
pride books for school
pride celebrations
pride month
pride month books
pride month gifts
Pride Month reads
pride-themed
queer
queer culture
queer literature
queer protagonists
queer representation
queer voices
rainbow literature
Relatable characters
reluctant reader
Representation in literature
Resilience theme
Role model characters
RuPaul
RuPaul's Drag Race
School story
school story for tweens
self expression and confidence
self-acceptance books
Self-discovery journey
social themes for ages 10 14
standing up for yourself story
trans literature
trans pride
Triumph story
tween
Unique story
Uplifting book
uplifting kids fiction
visibility
ya
Product details
- ISBN 9781419773655
- Dimensions: 140 x 203mm
- Publication Date: 08 Jan 2026
- Publisher: Abrams
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
From drag superstar Eureka O’Hara and bestselling author Dan Poblocki comes a beautiful, buoyant middle-grade novel about a boy who enters a local pageant—as a drag queen!
When Jackson Bright wears a dress to the last day of school, he expects to be complimented on the cute polka-dot design. Instead, he gets sent to the principal’s office.
Jackson doesn’t know why people are saying that he needs to “dress like a boy.” And with all the discussions of “dressing like a boy” and “dressing like a girl,” he wonders where people like his best friend Eva, who’s nonbinary, fit into all of this. Or why he felt so confident and happy while wearing that dress.
So when Jackson sees a flyer for the town’s beloved Little Miss pageant, he comes up with a plan: dress in drag in order to compete and show the town just how fabulous he can be! More than anything, though, he wants to push the boundaries of gender and learn how to better support Eva and other nonbinary kids like them, which is harder than he realizes.
Before he knows it, he’s thrust into a world of rhinestone gowns and fiercely applied makeup. With the help of Eva and Uncle Aaron, Jackson scrambles to come up with an array of dazzling costumes, a crowd-winning speech, and a killer talent act.
As he navigates the ups and downs of the competition—all while keeping his real identity a secret and hiding a growing crush on his rival’s brother—Jackson will have to figure out how to stand beside his friend and show his small town that #nonbinaryteaisvalid, unpack questions about his family and identity that he’s been hiding from, and learn how to stay true to himself and hold his head high no matter what!
When Jackson Bright wears a dress to the last day of school, he expects to be complimented on the cute polka-dot design. Instead, he gets sent to the principal’s office.
Jackson doesn’t know why people are saying that he needs to “dress like a boy.” And with all the discussions of “dressing like a boy” and “dressing like a girl,” he wonders where people like his best friend Eva, who’s nonbinary, fit into all of this. Or why he felt so confident and happy while wearing that dress.
So when Jackson sees a flyer for the town’s beloved Little Miss pageant, he comes up with a plan: dress in drag in order to compete and show the town just how fabulous he can be! More than anything, though, he wants to push the boundaries of gender and learn how to better support Eva and other nonbinary kids like them, which is harder than he realizes.
Before he knows it, he’s thrust into a world of rhinestone gowns and fiercely applied makeup. With the help of Eva and Uncle Aaron, Jackson scrambles to come up with an array of dazzling costumes, a crowd-winning speech, and a killer talent act.
As he navigates the ups and downs of the competition—all while keeping his real identity a secret and hiding a growing crush on his rival’s brother—Jackson will have to figure out how to stand beside his friend and show his small town that #nonbinaryteaisvalid, unpack questions about his family and identity that he’s been hiding from, and learn how to stay true to himself and hold his head high no matter what!
Eureka O’Hara started out as a small country child in the heart of East Tennessee. She is known for competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and as the co-host of We’re Here on HBO. One of O’Hara’s goals is to give people of difference around the world the confidence to go out and live their dreams. O’Hara wrote Jackson Bright in the Spotlight, her debut novel, because she wanted to create something that could have inspired her when she was growing up. As a self-proclaimed Elephant Queen to her fans, O’Hara’s passion for elephants reflects how she perceives herself: a large, majestic big mama. She regards those family-oriented and brilliant pachyderms as the best representation of size-positivity, kindness, and love, and she fights to protect those traits in all of us. She lives in LA. New York–based Dan Poblocki is an author of mystery, horror, and adventure novels for young people. He is the coauthor with Neil Patrick Harris of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Magic Misfits (writing under the pen name Alec Azam). He’s also the author of Tales to Keep You Up at Night, The Stone Child, The Nightmarys, the Mysterious Four series, and many more. His books The Ghost of Graylock and The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe were JLG selections and made the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list.
