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Billy Porter has a new, deeply personal kids' book on the horizon, Songbird in the Light

The book hits shelves next spring, and PEOPLE has an exclusive look inside

"I realized the power that was in these vocal cords," Porter says, "And it changed everything for me."

When Billy Porter discovered the superpower that is his voice, it became his salvation. Now with his new children's book, Songbird in the Light , he hopes to give other kids that same hope.

"My voice is my savior, the gift from on high," Porter tells PEOPLE in a conversation about the new book, coming from Abrams Books for Young Readers next spring. "It's my weapon, it's my solace. It's my peace. It's my hope. It's my joy. When I was a kid, it was all of those things. The reason why I'm alive is because

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