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, hes wanted to star in a Broadway show. (Heck, hed settle for seeing a Broadway show.) But how is Nate supposed to make his dreams come true when hes stuck in Jankburg, Pennsylvania, where no one (except his best pal Libby) appreciates a good show tune? With Libbys help, Nate plans a daring overnight escape to New York. Theres 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 Federles hilarious and heartwarming debut novel (Publishers Weekly) is full of broken curfews, second chances, and the adventure of growing upbecause sometimes you have to get four hundred miles from your backyard to finally feel at home.