Middle School's a Drag, You Better Werk!

By: Greg Howard

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

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.

Heartwarming, Important and Hilarious

I’m sure this is the kind of book to raise the ire of those who think books are corrupting our youth. But this story is about inclusion, friendship, individuality, and even capitalism, lol! Mikey Pruitt is a fabulous character and the story is more than a rainbow ode! The lessons are plentiful and Michael Crouch’s command of voices of all genders, ages and dialects is unparalleled!

Fantastic! Needed!

This story is so heartfelt. With a wonderful cast of characters, this book shines—it is at once funny, wise, kind, brave, and hopeful. A book that is truly needed, and I am so grateful to have found it. I highly recommend it. The reader for the audiobook did a great job, too!