Better Nate Than Ever — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceBrief
- ReligionBrief
- ProfanityBrief
- Sexual contentBrief
- Gender rolesSupportingChallenges traditional roles
- Gender & orientationSupporting
Not found
- Scary content
- Race & culture
- Climate
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
“The Nate series by Tim Federle is a wonderful evocation of what it’s like to be a theater kid. Highly recommended.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the musical, Hamilton
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
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 in this winning middle grade novel that The New York Times called “inspired and inspiring.”
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’s “hilarious and heartwarming debut novel” (Publishers Weekly) is 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Better Nate Than Ever appropriate for a 7-year-old?
Nate recalls being bullied at school, including being shoved into a locker, and is never physically harmed in New York. Nate's family is described as valuing God, and a review says the novel touches on religion in its second half.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have violence?
Found (Brief): Nate recalls being bullied at school, including being shoved into a locker, and is never physically harmed in New York.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have scary content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have religion?
Found (Brief): Nate's family is described as valuing God, and a review says the novel touches on religion in its second half.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have race & culture?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have profanity?
Found (Brief): A few real swear words appear with dashes in the printed text; Nate and Libby mostly use names of Broadway flops as pretend curse words.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have sexual content?
Found (Brief): There are fleeting mentions of a father's affair with an exotic dancer, strippers and the Museum of Sex, and a porn magazine found in a student's locker is mentioned but not shown.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have gender roles?
Found (Supporting, Challenges traditional roles): Nate's family, which values sports, pressures him to act more like a typical boy, and his brother teases him for his love of show tunes.
Does Better Nate Than Ever have gender & orientation?
Found (Supporting): Nate says his sexuality is undecided, is bullied for being seen as gay, shows some interest in boys, and sees two boys kiss in a dance club.
