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A funny, wacky adventure about a boy who loves Broadway musicals. Nate and his best friend Libby cook up a plan to get him from small-town Pennsylvania to NYC to audition for E.T. The Musical while his parents are on vacation. Nate's amusing and self-deprecating narration make this a fun, heartwarming read. You really root for bumbling, lovable Nate as he miraculously makes his way through NYC and the Broadway audition process. My favorite scene had theater newbie Nate making a hilarious mistake
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This one was a bit of a slow starter for me, but by the end I was thoroughly invested. It was also heavier than I expected it to be and the bullying broke my heart in places. Kids can be so cruel. Listened to the audio narrated by Tim Federle himself. I thought he did a great job of embodying Nate, although at times I couldn't tell if Nate was thinking or talking. Lots of fun to see the inside of the Broadway business as well and some of Nate's antics made me laugh out loud.
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It's nice to see an LGBT protagonist in a middle-grade title, though this is the very upper end of middle-grade, and maybe belongs in YA (it's currently J in my library, but I might change that). Something about this book felt a little old-fashioned to me. Nate's amazement with New York, the ET stuff, even Nate's surprise at the out-in-the-openness of the gay community in New York. I know he's supposed to be from a small town, but it seems to be suburban Pittsburgh, which is a pretty large city,
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Does it have a chance for the Newbery against DOLL BONES? Here's hoping, because this book is JUST THAT GOOD.
The cute cover and Tim Federle's fantastic sense of humor might lead you to think this is a Glee-fueled response to WIMPY KID, but you would be wrong. (And by you, I mean me) This is a journey tale told in a marvelous voice that perfectly captures the overwhelming experience of a first visit to New York City. Highly recommended. ...more
The cute cover and Tim Federle's fantastic sense of humor might lead you to think this is a Glee-fueled response to WIMPY KID, but you would be wrong. (And by you, I mean me) This is a journey tale told in a marvelous voice that perfectly captures the overwhelming experience of a first visit to New York City. Highly recommended. ...more
hiLARIOUS! Wonderfully conversational. Nate is fab as is his sidekick Libby. Deals with bullying and sexuality.
There were some parts of this book that just made my heart swell. It took me by surprise.
This is an original story based on the author's experiences. What would it be like to run away to New York City and audition for a play? I loved the references to various Broadway plays. I like how the author balanced the cool, exciting vibes of New York with its dangerous side. I was really hoping this would be a book for an elementary school library. But, in my opinion, with the various sexually toned references, it is not suitable for younger audiences (unless you want to explain about the Mu
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This is "realistic" fiction in the loosest sense of the word, but if you can suspend reality enough, this was a fun story of Nate, who takes a bus from a Pittsburgh suburb to NYC by himself to audition for a role in ET: The Musical. Coached by his best friend Libby, and full of wonder and naivete at NY -- wow: shoes for $3? You can't buy sneakers for that back in Jankburg! -- Nate makes it to the audition with entertaining results. Excellent reading by the author, who is himself a Broadway danci
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Looking forward to the next book!
Entertaining and funny. Worth reading for the varied and important subject matter and the way it was presented although I'm not sure why it was an award-winner. I enjoyed it but didn't think it was brilliant so 3 stars.
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Quite a delightful read, all the better for my having read it while visiting NYC for the first time myself! (This and
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
were my vacation theme reads.)
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