Jackson Bright in the Spotlight

Jackson is an exuberant middle schooler who causes an inadvertent ruckus on the last day of school when he spills juice on his outfit and borrows a polka dot dress from his best friend Eva's older sister. He's given a hard time by bullies, and one particularly nasty teacher, Miss Helton, takes him to the principal. His mother is called, and she is NOT happy... with the school. She supports Jackson, and is angry that she had to step away from work. Jackson's father has lost his job and is depressed, so the family needs to money. Eva, who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronous, supports Jackson as well. When the two friends are shopping at a thrift store, they see an advertisement for a beauty pageant, and Jackson decides that he will enter in disguise. He and Eva come up with a name, Sissy St. James, and when Jackson's uncle Aaron visits, he signs the permission slip and helps Jackson with his makeup and costuming. The talent portion of the program is hard, but Jackson works to improve his performance. There are plenty of problems along the way, but Aaron and Eva are always supportive. Jackson has a crush on a boy, Lucas, whose sister is competing in the pageant, which complicates things a little. Jackson is eventually found out, but there are no rules that say that boys can't compete. What will his parents think when they find out?

JACKSON BRIGHT IN THE SPOTLIGHT is a cute middle grade novel written for ages 10 and up. After getting sent to the principal’s office for wearing a dress on the last day of school, Jackson is out with his friend when they spot a sign for the local pageant. He wants to join to show the town that he can wear whatever he wants, but to join he has to do so in drag. With the help of his best friend and his uncle, Jackson has to prepare for the competition. Can he handle all the attention?

Jackson’s voice shines through the pages. His voice is vivid and unique, reflecting his very bright personality wonderfully. Not all readers will resonate with his voice, but it doesn’t detract from the novel. In fact, if the reader enjoys the voice, it enhances the story! Jackson himself is a fun character to follow through a novel like this. He’s got a lot of joy and happiness, but also a level of pettiness and confusion that makes sense for a kid his age. He doesn’t understand these rules that adults have put on him, and it annoys him, angers him even. He wants to prove them wrong. It’s age appropriate and in-character behavior from Jackson.

The pageant side of the novel is more fun than I had expected. I have very little pageantry novel, so it was interesting to see this book’s take on it all. The interviews, the talent, the entire community around the pageant. It added a layer of depth and realism to the book. I don’t know how popular pageant books are for middle grade students, but I hope this book will find its readers.

The subplots are detailed and interesting. There are subplots for a couple of the other characters, but they tie into Jackson’s story in a way that makes sense. I was especially interested in Jackson’s father’s struggle with depression. It was done in a way that kids who know will recognize the behavior, but kids who don’t will still understand the weight of his struggle. It’s also filtered through Jackson’s eyes meaning certain details are honed in on or ignored depending on whether Jackson notices them.

The LGBTQ+ representation in this book is fantastic. Jackson competes in drag, his best friend is nonbinary, his uncle is gay. It is shamelessly LGBTQ+. But, with the exception of Jackson performing in drag, these things don’t come across as a main focus. They just happen to be the identities of Jackson’s friend and family. Identities that spur conversations and growth.

The main characters feel very real. They are given enough details to make them feel three-dimensional without stealing the spotlight away from Jackson. But some of the side characters do feel a bit flat and one-note.

The art in the book is simple, but adds an additional bit of fun and whimsy to the story. It helps to visualize the characters and some of the scenes present in the book. It's not a picture book, but the art is common enough that you get used to seeing it.

At first glance JACKSON BRIGHT IN THE SPOTLIGHT seems like a fun book about a boy joining a pageant. And it is, but it’s also more than that. It’s full of age-appropriate drama, frank conversations around gender and gender expression, and subplots that add layers to the story.