Part of a large series of biographies for children, this bright volume takes us with RuPaul from his childhood through his rise to fame. We see his supportive family and learn how his mother taught him “his most important lesson: do what feels right to you … and love yourself for who you are.” Although Ru sometimes “felt like a bit of an outsider” because of the “rules about how boys and girls should look,” he eventually found his “true groove” as a drag queen and love with his husband Georges. His show inspired “thousands of lonely kids who felt that they had finally found their people.”
A few points could perhaps have used more clarification. The term “drag queen” is used without really being described; readers will have to infer what it means from the page that says Ru and a friend wore a wig and heels to parties and “were the most fabulous drag queens” in the area. (Chances are, though, that readers who pick up this book (or their parents) will already know what a “drag queen” is.) Similarly, we read that he played in a “punk band” but not what that is. We also learn that Ru was kicked out of high school, but not why, leaving readers to speculate.
Those are small points, though. Ru’s enthusiasm for performing and dedication to being himself comes through clearly, as does his importance as a role model for many.
