Tim Federle Popular Books

Tim Federle Biography & Facts

Timothy Michael Federle (born March 24, 1980) is an American author, theater librettist, director and screenwriter whose best-known works include the novel Better Nate Than Ever, the cocktail recipe book Tequila Mockingbird, the Golden Globe Award and Academy Awards nominee (for Best Animated Feature) Ferdinand, and Disney's High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Biography Federle wrote the middle-grade novel Better Nate Than Ever and its two sequels and the cocktail recipe book Tequila Mockingbird and its two follow-ups, and was co-writer of the book for the Broadway musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, also titled Tuck Everlasting. Federle was born in Foster City, California, on March 24, 1980, and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the setting for much of his fiction. Prior to his writing career, Federle appeared in the original casts of The Little Mermaid and Gypsy (2003 Bernadette Peters revival), as an actor, dancer and singer. He worked on the resident choreographic staff of Billy Elliot the Musical, serving as dance captain. Works In literature Fiction Better Nate Than Ever (2013, Simon & Schuster): Federle's debut novel for middle graders, Better Nate Than Ever, tells the story of 13-year-old Nate, who sneaks away from his home in Pennsylvania to audition for E.T: The Musical on Broadway. In a CNN article about the book, Federle said: "I think so often when you're a kid, we mellow out those more interesting edges in order to coast through middle school quietly. By the time you get to high school, you're left asking, who the heck am I? I would encourage kids to try and figure out the thing that sets you apart, not publicly but that you're passionate about internally." Nate was published to critical acclaim and has gone into multiple printings since its release. Described by the Huffington Post as "Judy Blume as seen through a Stephen Sondheim lens," and The New York Times as "inspired and inspiring," Better Nate Than Ever has been celebrated as unique for being a "book where teenage sexuality is treated with a light touch". The novel was an Amazon Best Book of 2013, a New York Times Notable Book of 2013, a Stonewall Book Award Honor Book, and a Lambda Literary Award finalist. The audio book was an Odyssey Award Honor Book, and was narrated by Federle. In 2021, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures announced a film adaptation of the book with Federle himself serving as both writer and director for the film. It was later announced that Better Nate Than Ever would debut on Disney+ in the spring of 2022. Five, Six, Seven, Nate! (2014, Simon & Schuster): In December 2013, Entertainment Weekly ran an excerpt of Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, Federle's follow-up to Better Nate Than Ever. The sequel charts Nate's continued adventures in New York City as he navigates his role in the creation of a major Broadway musical. A Kirkus Reviews starred review called the novel an "Encore performance that will leave them standing in the aisles." Five, Six, Seven, Nate! was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection, an Amazon Best Book of 2014, and an American Booksellers Association Best Book for Children. Federle won his second Odyssey Honor Book award for the audio book edition. Five, Six, Seven, Nate! was also a 2015 LGBT Children's/Young Adult LAMBDA Literary Award Winner. Summer Days and Summer Nights (2016, St. Martin's Press): On March 3, 2015 young adult fiction author Stephanie Perkins announced on Twitter that she will be editing a forthcoming YA anthology, Summer Days and Summer Nights, featuring twelve new stories from bestselling authors Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith. According to a Publishers Weekly announcement, St. Martins Press is set to release the collection in summer 2016. The anthology is a follow-up to Perkins' My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories, published to acclaim in 2014. The Great American Whatever (2016, Simon & Schuster): In June 2015 Huffington Post revealed the cover of Federle's forthcoming young adult novel, The Great American Whatever. Federle's first title for young adults is about Quinn Roberts, "a sixteen-year-old smart aleck", who dreams of Hollywood and becoming a professional screenwriter. The novel is receiving advance praise from authors and critics alike, with Veronica Mars' Rob Thomas calling it "original, authentic, engaging". It has also received starred reviews from the publishing trade journals School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews, who called it "a Holden Caulfield for a new generation." A Huffington Post article about the creation of the book stated that "Federle had a mature audience in mind when he began writing the book, originally titled Quinn, Victorious, five years ago, basing the plot on his personal experiences as seen through characters in their mid-20s." Following the novel's publishing, the Huffington Post called The Great American Whatever "the gay young adult novel you've been waiting for." In November 2016, The Great American Whatever was named a New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2016. The Great American Whatever is one of Kirkus' Best Teen Books of 2016. Nate Expectations (2018, Simon & Schuster): On January 11, 2018, the Huffington Post exclusively revealed the title and cover of the third novel in Federle's "Nate" series, Nate Expectations. The latest installment follows teenage Nate after he moves back to his Pennsylvania hometown following his Broadway debut, wrapping up the trilogy with what Federle calls the third step in a Broadway journey, "Dealing with life when the show closes or gets crappy reviews." Nate Expectations features a cover designed by Rex Bonomelli; the previous two entries in the series, Better Nate Than Ever and Five, Six, Seven, Nate! also received Bonomelli cover refreshes once Nate Expectations hit shelves. Cocktail guides Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist (2013, Perseus Books): Federle's first novelty cocktail recipe book, Tequila Mockingbird won the Goodreads Best Cookbook of 2013 Award, and was featured as a clue on Jeopardy! in October 2014. Federle has said the inspiration for the book was his own mother's book club, which "would dissolve into opening wine". In an April 2014 interview with School Library Journal, Federle was quoted as saying, "Tequila Mockingbird came out of a silly one line email to my agent, Brenda Bowen—'Hey, do you think the Urban Outfitters crowd would go for a literary cocktail guide?' I truly wrote the proposal on a whim." The book went on to be sold at Urban Outfitters and ModCloth, among other specialty retailers, and was cited as one of Perseus Book Publisher's leading titles, along with Friday Night Lights and Black Mass, in a September 2015 Wall Street Journal article. According to a December 2014.... 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  • The Paris Project synopsis, comments

    The Paris Project

    Donna Gephart

    “Une histoire d’espoira story of hope.” Kirkus Reviews “A memorable, heartfelt read.” Publishers WeeklyFans of the Nate series by Tim Federle and The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennife...

  • Boulevard of Dreams synopsis, comments

    Boulevard of Dreams

    Mandy Gonzalez

    Better Nate than Ever meets Love Sugar Magic in this spooky second novel in the Fearless middle grade series from Hamilton and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez about a group of young t...

  • The Gin Dictionary synopsis, comments

    The Gin Dictionary

    David T Smith

    "Comprehensive...will enhance your gin appreciation" The New York TimesAn AZ compendium of everything you need to know about gin, from botanicals to the perfect G&T. Includes ...

  • Elle of the Ball synopsis, comments

    Elle of the Ball

    Elena Delle Donne

    From 2015 WNBA MVP, 2016 Olympic gold medalist, and global ambassador to the Special Olympics Elena Delle Donne comes the first novel in a brandnew middle grade series with as much...

  • Fearless synopsis, comments

    Fearless

    Mandy Gonzalez

    “Will hit all the high notes for theater and mystery fans alike.” Kirkus ReviewsBetter Nate than Ever meets Love Sugar Magic in this spooky middle grade novel from Hamilton and Bro...

  • Booze Over Broadway synopsis, comments

    Booze Over Broadway

    Tiller Press

    Enjoy a delicious cocktail while belting out Broadway tunes with this witty guidebook that perfectly pairs your favorite showtunes and Broadway musicals with innovative libations.D...

  • Jacked Up synopsis, comments

    Jacked Up

    Erica Sage

    Saved! meets Tim Federle with just a dash of A.S. King in this hilarious and poignant debut about a teen stuck at Jesus camp.It’s bad enough that Nick’s sister is dead, and, in som...

  • Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost synopsis, comments

    Noah McNichol and the Backstage Ghost

    Martha Freeman

    “Will make a theater lover of any young reader.” Booklist​​Perfect for fans of The Wednesday Wars, this raucous and delightful middle grade mystery from Edgar Award–nominated autho...

  • Our Story Begins synopsis, comments

    Our Story Begins

    Elissa Brent Weissman

    From awardwinning author Elissa Brent Weissman comes a collection of quirky, smart, and vulnerable childhood works by some of today’s foremost children’s authors and illustratorsre...