7th grader Derrick Chan loves to play basketball, but that’s only one side to him. In secret, Derrick paints his toenails in sparkly blue polish and lip-syncs to Dolly Parton in the bathroom. He admires a girl at his school not because he has a crush on her, but because she always wears vibrant, colorful outfits and makeup.

When Derrick is sent to stay with his estranged grandmother, Claudia, over the summer, he gains entry to the world of competitive beauty pageants. Claudia designs pageant dresses, and Derrick is immediately drawn to the gorgeous fabrics and sequins.

He also befriends two local kids, Ro and Giles. Ro is a pageant girl, although she’d rather play roller derby than wear dresses. Giles, who identifies as queer, introduces Derrick to drag and helps him navigate his confusing feelings for his best friend and teammate, JJ. When he gets the opportunity to compete in the town pageant, Derrick has to decide if he’s ready to share this side of himself with the world.

This is a fantastic middle grade debut. Derrick’s journey felt so true to life, and I loved that he had a great support system around him. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Excellent book, important themes and wonderful characters. Aspects of self-realization are treated with honesty and just the right amount of MG naïveté. Important books like this are so incredibly beneficial to the MG audience. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books/Kyle Casey Chu for an ARC of this title.

This is a really enjoyable middle-grade read about a young person coming to terms with themself in a small town, southern setting. It was a quick read with highly likeable characters that introduced ideas of racial identity, gender identity, and sexuality in a really accessible way. As a cis person without a particular personal attraction to drag, it was a really interesting way to be introduced to what may lead a young person towards drag and the feelings/confidence that drag can give such a young person. The friendships were very well-written, the family dynamics believable and relatable, and the ending felt well-earned and deserved. The conflicts felt age appropriate, which is important for this type of novel.

While this is not a regular read for me, I'm glad to have experienced and, as the parent of a middle-grade kid, I think I have some sense of what may appeal to that age range. All in all, definitely a recommended read from an author who has a career ahead of them lifting people up.

This is a fantastic middle grade book about a middle school basketball star who falls in love with fashion and drag during a summer with his grandmother. The author did an amazing job describing the stressful time of junior high when everyone is trying to label what you are just as you are trying to figure out that very thing. I loved the way the family dynamics were discussed in this book, and the way the main character's grandmother was written.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Kyle Casey Chu for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I found myself immediately enamored with this book within the first few chapters. The book tells the story of a young Chinese American boy as he discovers his love for drag and his identity in the community over a Summer of Yeses with his semi-estranged grandmother and a ragtag couple of friends who remind me so much of exactly who I needed in my life as a young, queer person.

I loved Derrick as a character and watching his journey of discovery. It felt true to the experience I went through when coming out and it is nice to feel seen and understood on a real level and not a “Hollywood portrayal” of what coming to terms with your sexuality should be. It was confusing and scary and hard to admit, but ultimately worth it.

The fact that Ro is a roller girl and wants to be on a roller derby team speaks to my soul as someone who is on a roller derby team. Skating has recently become a passion of mine so I love to see it represented. Druid City Derby represent.

And now.. Claudia. My sweet Claudia. She is everything that a young queer kid needs in a grandparent. I immediately fell in love with her and want a whole book series about her life.

When explaining the drag side of it, I loved getting to watch Derrick’s journey into discovery. I loved all the little drag nuances presented to us (his first creation being made with a glue gun, the attraction to shiny makeup) I felt like it was believable as a baby drag queen discovering herself. And the nod to RPDR which was such an instrumental tool in bringing drag into mainstream.

All in all I think this is an excellent book for young adults to read as an example of who they should surround themselves with when moving through life. Even if you aren’t queer or do drag, the support system that Derrick is surrounded by is what every struggling young person needs to help the adapt to a rapidly changing time in their life. Let it be an example that people like that exist out there and you deserve them in your life.

Thank you to Kyle Casey Chu for writing a story that spoke to my young, queer heart. It was phenomenal.

This book is going to do for young drag queens what Melissa did for young trans kids~ what a beautiful, sweet story!

Derrick Chan - a 7th grader- loves basketball and is a very loyal and fun friend. In the first few pages, he wins the middle school basketball championship with the winning shot. But he has a secret, that he loves sparkly blue nail polish and dresses. Before spending the summer with his grandma and meeting another young queer kid, he doesn't know what drag is, and feels a beautiful freedom seeing drag performers and drag competition clips on YouTube. What a great feeling- to learn that you aren't alone, that there are other people who love the kinds of things you do! Derrick is just figuring things out, like all 7th grade kids.

I don't often rate and review children's books, and I am a straight, white 47 year old female, not necessarily the target audience for this middle grade (3-7) book. But I think it is really wonderful, I cried at the end. And what middle school kid- no matter where they live and who they are-- doesn't feel fear at not being the person their parents want them to be? This book will be universally loved, but is amazing for gay kids, especially one who is a Chinese-American. I loved that it had a happy ending without it being overly PollyAnna-ish, the book fully recognizes that not everyone will accept Derrick. I also loved that Derrick had a good relationship other kids and their journeys were different. Lots of people-kids and adults alike- need to know that being LGBTQ is not "one size fits all"- that not all gay men perform drag, but some love it, some love sports, some love cooking, or anything! Gay people like lots of different things, and that is ok. Just being gay doesn't have to put you inside of a box, it's all a part of you.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins #quillbooks for the ARC. After I read this, I immediately pre-ordered 3 copies. This is going to be an instant-classic!