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Better Nate Than Ever | February 19, 2014

by Tim Federle (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, February 2013)

Nate Foster cannot wait to get out of Jankburg. Small–town Pennsylvania isn’t exactly the best fit for a too short, too awkward, too enthusiastic-about-singing-showtunes-in-his-backyard 13-year-old. With the help of his BFF Libby (partner in crime and source of every bit of Broadway history there is to know), Nate sneaks out of the house, setting off on a bus to New York City with explicit instructions to hit the open casting call for “E.T. the Musical” and turn right back around before his parents get back from their getaway weekend. Of course, hijinks ensue, leading Nate on an adventure through the insane – but exhilarating – streets of New York, figuring out a whole lot of stuff about the city and himself along the way.

Nate wants to be a star, but he also desperately wants NOT to stand out, and New York seems just the place to make both of those happen. Is Nate gay? Maybe, maybe not – and he’s not sure if he’s into anybody, really, so he’d appreciate if you left him alone about it. What he does know is that he can’t get enough of this place where nobody bats an eye if you’re a little different. And though he still feels like an outsider, like he’ll never measure up, he eventually realizes that his quirks are what set him apart where it really matters. Tim Federle (also hilarious on Twitter – check him out!) has crafted a refreshing story about a different kind of kid with a different kind of dream; sure to make you laugh, smile, root for Nate, and want to read the sequel!

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