A New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a Publishers' Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Slate Favorite Book of the Year. A small-town boy hops a bus to New York City to crash an audition for E.T.: The Musical.
Nate Foster has big dreams. His whole life, he’s wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, he’d settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when he’s stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libby’s help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. There’s an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, and Nate knows this could be the difference between small-town blues and big-time stardom.
Tim Federle writes a warm and witty debut that's full of broken curfews, second chances, and the adventure of growing up—because sometimes you have to get four hundred miles from your backyard to finally feel at home.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
103 of 114 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderful... with a warning
By Valerie A. Baute
I have to start by saying that I loved this book. It was adorable, fun, and heartwarming. It was also neat to experience the first trip to New York with Nate. He grew a lot on his trip, and I loved seeing that growth. He was naive yet quick, funny yet real. Overall, just flat out wonderful.Now, I work in a public library. We started with this book down in the children's department. Amazon says ages 9+. I cannot think of any 9 year old that I could possibly give this book to. Honestly, I can't think of any child I would give this book to at all. Nate is definitely showing signs that he wants to be with boys, but he is only 13 and hasn't made that decision yet. There is nothing wrong with that to me. To some parents, they might not feel the same way, or they might just not be ready to discuss that with their children. I wouldn't want to be the person that handed this book to a parent that wasn't ready for their child to read about it. Also, they use a word that starts with "f" and is a derogatory term for homosexual person. (Amazon won't let me say the word in my review, yet it appears many times in a book for children ages 9+???) Again, something many parents don't want their children introduced to. So there is a chance I could find a parent to discuss this with, and they could give it to their child fully prepared for discussion afterward. Unfortunately, I fear that most kids will see the cover and pick it up because it's cute, and these kids very well could have parents that don't want that discussion.We decided to move this up to the teen section. It is a pretty juvenile story, but I'm hoping some 13 or 14 year old kids who love theater will pick this up and fall in love with it. Also, it might find an audience in people questioning their sexual preferences. By the age of 13, most kids are more aware of the world around them, and they are hopefully mature enough to talk about any questions they might come across while reading. If not, their friends probably know, and they are more likely to talk to them. Hopefully the cute cover still appeals to teens.Again, I love this book. The story is adorable. The writing is spot-on for the story. There are a lot of concepts hit upon: family values, being the sibling of a "star", discovering who you are, exploring your dreams with eyes wide open. It is a cute, quick read that even adults will enjoy, especially adults who might love Glee like I do.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful.Better Nate is Great!
By Twin2SF
What a fabulous book. As an educator, I am always looking for good books, filled with adventure, depth, humor, "morals" (stealthily embedded), and thoughtfulness. Bravo on all accounts! Can't wait for Part Two. There must be a Part Two. My students in grades 6 and up will enjoy this book and Nate's adventures, trials, and triumphs. This book deserves all the stars it has earned so far.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.Hilarious fun!
By Melanie Greenberg
This book is hilarious fun! I pre-ordered it for my 6th grade son, who developed a love of musical theater in the last year. When it came this week, I flipped to the author bio, and burst out laughing: "Tim Federle is the author of over 700 emails..." I started reading the book, and realized last night that I had to stop since it was 1 am.Nate is 13, and tormented in school in his home town near Pittsburgh. His one best friend is Libby and she shares his love of musical theater. He embarks on a trip to New York City by himself to audition for E.T. the Musical. I think Federle gets the tone of middle school aged kids exactly right: Whip-smart funny, but also naive and unsure of themselves. I absolutely loved all of Nate's wide-eyed observations about being in New York City for the first time. He's amazed to find Appleby's right next to the bus station! And a cupcake shop on every street.The author has appeared in several Broadway shows and was the associate choreographer on Billy Elliot on Broadway working with all the children in the show. So he knows the subject matter, and he knows theater kids.This book is just excellent, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I'm hoping we get a sequel for further adventures of Nate!
