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Middle School's a Drag, You Better Werk!

by Greg Howard

Subject
LGBTQ+
Age
9-12 years
Format
Hardcover
Pages
304
Publisher
G.P. Putnams Sons Books for Young Readers
Size
14.0 cm × 21.1 cm
ISBN
9780525517528
In this heartfelt and hilarious new novel from Greg Howard, an enterprising boy starts his own junior talent agency and signs a thirteen-year-old aspiring drag queen as his first client.

Twelve-year-old Mikey Pruitt--president, founder, and CEO of Anything, Inc.--has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Inspired by his grandfather Pap Pruitt, who successfully ran all sorts of businesses from a car wash to a roadside peanut stand, Mikey is still looking for his million-dollar idea. Unfortunately, most of his ideas so far have failed. A baby tornado ran off with his general store, and the kids in his neighborhood never did come back for their second croquet lesson. But Mikey is determined to keep at it.

It isn't until kid drag queen Coco Caliente, Mistress of Madness and Mayhem (aka eighth grader Julian Vasquez) walks into his office (aka his family's storage/laundry room) looking for an agent that Mikey thinks he's finally found his million-dollar idea, and the Anything Talent and Pizzazz Agency is born!

Soon, Mikey has a whole roster of kid clients looking to hit it big or at least win the middle school talent show's hundred-dollar prize. As newly out Mikey prepares Julian for the gig of a lifetime, he realizes there's no rulebook for being gay--and if Julian can be openly gay at school, maybe Mikey can, too, and tell his crush, dreamy Colton Sanford, how he feels.

Full of laughs, sass, and hijinks, this hilarious, heartfelt story shows that with a little effort and a lot of love, anything is possible.

Data provided by BiblioShare.

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What reviewers said

What a fun book! I love the book's message of being yourself and accepting others. You better werk! I definitely recommend this book to all kids and teens, but especially drag kids.”
Desmond Is Amazing
“This fun, funny, and heartfelt novel will leave you feeling hopeful and triumphant!” —Donna Gephart, award-winning author of Lily and Dunkin, In Your Shoes, and The Paris Project
“A funny, fabulous, and ultimately life-affirming story that will uplift and entertain young readers from many different backgrounds. So, should you check this one out? Mikey says, yas queen!”
Booklist
Lovely . . . Shows that when people give proper due to each other, they learn and celebrate together, and maybe even heal.”
Lambda Literary
“A funny take on early adolescence and discovering who you are, with a warmth that’s sure to speak to young readers and the adults in their lives.”
Chapter 16
A heartwarming story perfect for fans of Tim Federle’s Better Nate Than Ever.”
School Library Journal
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© 2026 Peekabooks Inc. All Rights Reserved.