When RuPaul’s Drag Race and We’re Here star Eureka O’Hara teamed up with bestselling author Dan Poblocki (Tales To Keep You Up at Night) for her middle-grade debut, sparks flew.

“Dan is a genius,” O’Hara says, via email, of her co-author on  Jackson Bright in the Spotlight  (Amulet/Abrams, October 21). “I just love him so much. He was able to not only create a story with depth and arc but also with creativity and diversity. And with the knowledge I had around drag, and the personal experiences that we both have as queer people, we were able to create something so magical.”

Jackson Bright, illustrated by Ricardo Bessa, is the story of a boy who learns to magnify his shine with a little help from his best friend, his uncle, and others. Kirkus calls it a “fierce and fabulous read!”

“A tween boy embraces the philosophy of dressing for joy,” Kirkus wrote in a starred review of Jackson Bright in the Spotlight. I kind of love that phrase, “the philosophy of dressing for joy.” What do you think of that characterization?

I do love that so much. I also love that the book is about supporting his friend and their identity choices, which I think is something we often miss: How can we be a real ally? One of my favorite things is Jackson being an ally to his best friend, Eva.

Some of my favorite scenes to read were the performances and rehearsals. What were some of your favorite scenes to write?

I love the scenes where Jackson first tries on Eva’s sister’s clothes. Playing dress-up is such a moment in young people’s lives. Oftentimes it can be by themselves, and it can be a very scary experience. In the book, however, they just get to have fun and play with that feminine part of their nature. I also love the interactions with Jackson’s father. There are often these deeper relationships with our parents that don’t always fall back on They don’t accept me, but more about what parents go through as well, and how kids can at times take on emotional responsibility or confusion.

What excited you about writing for a middle-grade audience?

I remember being in middle school, trying to find books that I felt I could relate to, and I found books about magic or superpowers because I felt like that was the only way I could really relate with the characters and their differences compared to “normal society.” This book is normalizing new experiences in expressing yourself. I also wanted to show the growth that we’ve had as a community and a society, even though old knowledge is just that: It’s old knowledge. There’s a way to be educated and have the thought process redesigned.

What inspired you during the writing of the book? What were you reading, listening to, watching?

My own personal experiences inspired me the most, especially navigating life as I’m transitioning and expressing myself as a trans woman. But also, the experience I had working on We’re Here, meeting younger people who were learning to express and identify themselves in the world. And, of course, with the current climate where we’re all under scrutiny, I wanted to create a story that would be easy to follow but not heavy-hitting. I was also very inspired by some queer shows like Love, Victor and The L Word, but also the book Holes by Louis Sachar.

Editor at large Megan Labrise hosts the Fully Booked podcast.