A story of Broadway dreams tailor-made for the younger side of the Glee audience. Jankburg, Penn., has always been too small-town for 13-year-old Nate Foster's Broadway-sized dreams. Jocks and God rule in the Foster house, which is good news for Anthony, Nate's older brother, and bad news for a boy with a soft spot for jazz hands and show tunes. Thankfully, Nate's best friend, Libby, shares his love of the Great White Way. When Libby learns of an upcoming audition for a Broadway-musical version of E.T., it's too good an opportunity to pass up. With Libby as his cover, the two hatch a plan that will have Nate to New York and back with the role of Elliott firmly in hand before anyone even knows he's gone missing. Alas, things rarely go according to plan. Nate is a quirky and endearing leading man from the start, and anyone who has ever felt out of place will easily identify with him. It's a joy to watch him fall head over heels for a city that couldn't care less about him--in the best possible way. Unfortunately, the cartoonish cover art and a predominantly lighthearted beginning may mislead some readers. Federle's debut addresses--deftly--big and solemn issues in the second half of the novel, particularly with regard to family, sexuality and religion. Bravo, Nate! (Fiction. 8-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Federle's hilarious and heartwarming debut novel follows 13-year-old musical theater-loving Nate Foster on his meticulously choreographed overnight getaway to New York City to audition for E.T.: The Musical. Catchy chapter titles framed in marquee lights ("This'll Be Fast: You Might as Well Meet Dad, Too") and running gags, like Nate's use of Broadway flops as epithets ("Moose Murders it all to tarnation!"), add to the theatrical atmosphere as Nate breathlessly narrates his backstory and real-time adventures. Federle (who has himself worked on Broadway) combines high-stakes drama with slapstick comedy as Nate travels by Greyhound bus-dying cellphone and dollars in hand-determined to get to the audition, conceal his lack of chaperone, and compete in the cutthroat world of child actors and stage parents. Nate's desperation to escape his stifling home environment, instant love affair with the city, questions about his sexuality, and relationship with his dysfunctional but sympathetic family add emotional depth. Federle's supporting characters affirm theater's "no small roles" adage, and E.T. references abound-like Elliott's bicycle in the film, this book soars. Ages 9-13. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this funny and insightful story, the dreams of many a small-town, theater-loving boy are reflected in the starry eyes of eighth-grader Nate. When Nate hops a Greyhound bus to travel across Pennsylvania to try out for the Broadway-bound musical based on the movie E.T., no one but his best friend, Libby, knows about it; not his athletic brother, religious father, or unhappy mother. Self-reliant, almost to an inauthentic fault, he arrives in Manhattan for the first time and finds his way into the audition with dramatic results, and when his estranged actress/waitress aunt suddenly appears, a troubled family history and a useful subplot surface. Nate's emerging sexuality is tactfully addressed in an age-appropriate manner throughout, particularly in his wonderment at the differences between his hometown and N.Y.C., a world where guys . . . can dance next to other guys who probably liked Phantom of the Opera and not get threatened or assaulted. This talented first-time author has made the classic Chorus Line theme modern and bright for the Glee generation.--Medlar, Andrew Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 4-6-Nate Foster and his best friend, Libby, are obsessed with musicals. They even curse by using the name of Broadway's biggest flops in vain: "Moose Murders it all to tarnation!" So when they learn of an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical on Broadway, they hatch a plan to get Nate from suburban Pittsburgh to the audition in New York. Armed with his mom's ATM card, his older brother's fake ID, a box of donuts, and $100, Nate embarks on a 48-hour solo adventure into the Big Apple. Debut author and Broadway performer Tim Federle reads with verve, but his voice variations are minimal, which can make it difficult to discern which of the story's characters is speaking. However, the semi-autobiographical nature of the story (S & S, 2013) overcomes this quibble, and the reading is effective because it feels like Nate is taking listeners into his confidence. While the packaging and marketing makes it seem family-friendly, be aware that the story, alongside the lighter issues of friendship, puberty, and perseverance, explores weighty and mature issues of sexuality, alcoholism, bullying, and religion. It's all told in the rarely serious naive and quip-filled voice of Nate, yet the depth of what is being conveyed is undiminished. Nate's bullies torment him through the use of brutish gay slurs and physical assaults. With his indefatigable spirit, he's able to mostly brush it all aside and pursue his dreams undaunted. Preteens having a hard time finding their niche will relate to Nate's travails; adults will appreciate the humor and wit of the story.-Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, Eagan, MN (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

AT first glance the protagonists of these two middle-grade novels, "Better Nate Than Ever" and "I Represent Sean Rosen," have a lot in common: they're both 13-year-old boys; they both have blue-collar parents and white-collar aspirations; they both have intelligent and originar voices; and they're both in the process of doggedly pursing their life's passion to be in show business. And yet. . . . The Nate Foster of "Better Nate Than Ever" takes us on an inspired and inspiring journey when he runs away from his humdrum western Pennsylvania existence and boards a Greyhound bus headed for New York to audition for an imagined Broadway musical version of "E.T.," the Steven Spielberg megabit. The funny, awkward, vulnerable Nate is an insightful and entertaining narrator for this adventurous tale about an ugly duckling learning to experience and embrace his inner swan. As Nate plots his escape, his unsympathetic, high-achieving, popular older brother; his father, an unhappy man with one foot out the family door; and his demanding, misunderstood mother all figure in the story. Everything rings true enough, but it's not until we encounter Libby, his witty and adoring best friend, that the living, breathing, quirky pulse that informs the rest of the book begins to beat. By the time Nate arrives at his audition the next morning and encounters "a boy whose hair is parted so aggressively I could probably see his thoughts if I stared into it hard enough," the footing is firm and true and doesn't falter until the book reaches its well-deserved fairy-tale ending. Throughout the smartly paced and surprisingly suspenseful weekend-long audition process, the author, Tim Federle, a Broadway veteran himself, pits Nate against a hilarious array of spot-on showbiz archetypes in his quest for success. When Nate finally gets a chance to take the spotlight and perform his wonderfully executed 11th-hour showstopping monologue, it's a real pleasure to discover that our boy actually does have a significant gift. The scene's got serious meat on its bones. And it's definitely worth the wait. A nicely calibrated sequence with Nate's lovable, wise Aunt Heidi adds just the right balance of pathos and wit to the ultimate resolution of this tale well told. THE Sean Rosen of Jeff Baron's "I Represent Sean Rosen" is an emotionally guarded and decidedly different sort of protagonist. Armed with a subscription to The Hollywood Reporter and an urgent need to get ahead, he's basically a loner, with few real friends and perfectly agreeable but uninvolved parents. Sean isn't interested in the Mickey-and-Judy "Hey kids, let's put on a show" kind of entertainment; he's interested in the "Who gets the sequel rights and how much are you going to pay me for the option?" kind of show business. Which makes him fascinating, and even admirable in a "What Makes Sammy Run?" sort of way. But not necessarily the kind of kid you'd want your kid hanging out with at the playground. He's definitely worth your attention. But not necessarily your affection. When Sean gets an idea he says "will change the way people think about entertainment," he sets out to sell it by inventing a fake manager named Dan Welch to represent him. Soon pretend Dan gets real Sean a chance to pitch a perfectly viable movie idea called "A Week With Your Grandparents" to a major player, and much to Sean's surprise the player likes the concept so much she actually tries to option it. Several times, in fact. But in the end, young Sean balks at the deal. The company won't give him a crack at the screenplay, and what Sean Rosen really wants, after all, is to be a writer. After a nicely detailed setup and a leading character bristling with attitude and self-assurance, Baron never quite decides where to take his unusual premise. The narrative eventually fizzles into a series of e-mails, rewritten contracts and empty phone calls. In the end Sean is neither enough of a snake to perversely charm us nor appealing enough for us to want him to succeed. But he does manage to get under our skin. And that's no mean feat. I applaud the choice of unlikely protagonist, and there's a first-rate story waiting to be told in here. It just can't quite find its way out. Bob Balaban is an actor, director and producer. He is the author, most recently, of the middle-grade series The Creature From the Seventh Grade.

Dreaming of Broadway stardom, thirteen-year-old Nate Foster runs away from his dull Pennsylvania town to the Big Apple, and to a casting call for a new musical. Tailor-made for fans of Glee, Federle's debut novel combines humor with an insider's perspective on the theater, an enthusiastic portrait of New York, and a genuine affection for lovable misfit Nate. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.