AT first glance the protagonists of these two middle-grade novels, "Better Nate Than Ever" and "I Represent Sean Rosen," have a lot in common: they're both 13-year-old boys; they both have blue-collar parents and white-collar aspirations; they both have intelligent and originar voices; and they're both in the process of doggedly pursing their life's passion to be in show business. And yet. . . . The Nate Foster of "Better Nate Than Ever" takes us on an inspired and inspiring journey when he runs away from his humdrum western Pennsylvania existence and boards a Greyhound bus headed for New York to audition for an imagined Broadway musical version of "E.T.," the Steven Spielberg megabit. The funny, awkward, vulnerable Nate is an insightful and entertaining narrator for this adventurous tale about an ugly duckling learning to experience and embrace his inner swan. As Nate plots his escape, his unsympathetic, high-achieving, popular older brother; his father, an unhappy man with one foot out the family door; and his demanding, misunderstood mother all figure in the story. Everything rings true enough, but it's not until we encounter Libby, his witty and adoring best friend, that the living, breathing, quirky pulse that informs the rest of the book begins to beat. By the time Nate arrives at his audition the next morning and encounters "a boy whose hair is parted so aggressively I could probably see his thoughts if I stared into it hard enough," the footing is firm and true and doesn't falter until the book reaches its well-deserved fairy-tale ending. Throughout the smartly paced and surprisingly suspenseful weekend-long audition process, the author, Tim Federle, a Broadway veteran himself, pits Nate against a hilarious array of spot-on showbiz archetypes in his quest for success. When Nate finally gets a chance to take the spotlight and perform his wonderfully executed 11th-hour showstopping monologue, it's a real pleasure to discover that our boy actually does have a significant gift. The scene's got serious meat on its bones. And it's definitely worth the wait. A nicely calibrated sequence with Nate's lovable, wise Aunt Heidi adds just the right balance of pathos and wit to the ultimate resolution of this tale well told. THE Sean Rosen of Jeff Baron's "I Represent Sean Rosen" is an emotionally guarded and decidedly different sort of protagonist. Armed with a subscription to The Hollywood Reporter and an urgent need to get ahead, he's basically a loner, with few real friends and perfectly agreeable but uninvolved parents. Sean isn't interested in the Mickey-and-Judy "Hey kids, let's put on a show" kind of entertainment; he's interested in the "Who gets the sequel rights and how much are you going to pay me for the option?" kind of show business. Which makes him fascinating, and even admirable in a "What Makes Sammy Run?" sort of way. But not necessarily the kind of kid you'd want your kid hanging out with at the playground. He's definitely worth your attention. But not necessarily your affection. When Sean gets an idea he says "will change the way people think about entertainment," he sets out to sell it by inventing a fake manager named Dan Welch to represent him. Soon pretend Dan gets real Sean a chance to pitch a perfectly viable movie idea called "A Week With Your Grandparents" to a major player, and much to Sean's surprise the player likes the concept so much she actually tries to option it. Several times, in fact. But in the end, young Sean balks at the deal. The company won't give him a crack at the screenplay, and what Sean Rosen really wants, after all, is to be a writer. After a nicely detailed setup and a leading character bristling with attitude and self-assurance, Baron never quite decides where to take his unusual premise. The narrative eventually fizzles into a series of e-mails, rewritten contracts and empty phone calls. In the end Sean is neither enough of a snake to perversely charm us nor appealing enough for us to want him to succeed. But he does manage to get under our skin. And that's no mean feat. I applaud the choice of unlikely protagonist, and there's a first-rate story waiting to be told in here. It just can't quite find its way out. Bob Balaban is an actor, director and producer. He is the author, most recently, of the middle-grade series The Creature From the Seventh Grade.

Sean Rosen has an idea. A big one that he says "will affect TV, theater, games, and especially movies." But breaking into the entertainment biz isn't easy for a 13-year-old, even one who subscribes to the Hollywood Reporter. Before reaching out to the (unnamed) "huge company" he hopes to work with, Sean attempts a trial run with his second-choice company. After creating a fictitious manager, Dan Welch, to help get his foot in the door, Sean gets an offer-not for his big, secret idea (readers don't even learn what it is), but for a movie idea. Throughout, debut author Baron realistically incorporates technology into the story-Sean (as Dan) arranges a Skype meeting with the entertainment exec; he also produces his own podcasts-and Sean's email exchanges with various professionals are dead-on. Because Sean is keeping so many secrets from his family, friends, and others, the story relies heavily on his long internal monologues, which can become tiring. But readers who share Sean's Hollywood ambitions will find his experiences just as eye-opening as he does. Ages 10-up. Agent: Julie Just, Janklow & Nesbit. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Thirteen-year-old Sean has an innovative concept that he believes will transform the entertainment industry. Sean's goal is to present his concept to a major entertainment company. Baron's wryly humorous tale depicts how the determined eighth-grader approaches this endeavor, reviewing the thicket of hurdles facing industry newcomers. When Sean discovers that major entertainment companies are nearly inaccessible to those without representation by either an agent or manager, he is undeterred. Instead, he becomes embroiled in a comical, although improbable, series of events in which he masquerades as his own manager. To further complicate matters, another prestigious entertainment company responds to Sean's inquiry and expresses interest in his impromptu movie idea. Suddenly, Sean must deal with industry executives and bewildering legal contracts. Through Sean's misadventures, Baron examines such issues as navigating the complex world of movie screenwriting and maintaining artistic integrity. He deftly juxtaposes these scenarios with Sean's ordinary life. Interspersed throughout the tale, Sean's reflections and witty observations regarding middle school life and friendship add a pragmatic yet humorous note. An engaging and educational primer on the workings of the movie industry. (Fiction. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 6-8-Sean Rosen has an idea for a movie, one that he's certain is worth a lot of money. Unfortunately, he can't get it sold because he needs an agent or a manager. Since nobody wants to represent a 13-year-old boy, he moves to plan B: he invents Dan Welch to represent him. When the vice president of an entertainment company responds to Dan's email about his client, Sean must keep the myth alive while struggling with the decision to accept the offer he has received. In this hilarious debut novel, Baron gives readers interesting insight into the creative process. The ending, though a bit of a surprise, brings the story to a logical and perfect conclusion, but one gets the feeling that this may not be the last time readers hear from Sean Rosen. Fans of Jeff Kinney's "Wimpy Kid" (Abrams) and Carl Hiaasen's books will not be disappointed.-Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Upset that Hollywood big-wigs will not take a thirteen-year-old seriously, Sean Rosen invents his own representation. Eventually, his "manager" negotiates a movie deal with a major entertainment company, but Sean struggles to maintain the pretense and grows increasingly hesitant to sign away the rights to his story. Humorous first-person narration and email correspondences buoy a conflict that often feels surprisingly flat. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Burning with a big idea that he is convinced will revolutionize the entertainment industry, budding hustler Sean Rosen decides not to approach his preferred megabusiness partner until he has tried a dry run with his second choice. Inventing manager Dan Welch as a mouthpiece for his 13-year-old Midwestern self, Sean leverages massive chutzpah and a gift for gab into e-mail exchanges with a producer that lead to a $10,000 option offer on a movie he has made up, practically on the spur of the moment. The extended, chatty observations about his life, parents, relatives, family history, teachers, and schoolmates defocus the narrative, but Sean recounts his improbable success story in such a glib mix of moves and countermoves that readers will be swept along in the giddy rush. However, they may not like being strung along by Sean's cagey refusal to describe his original notion, or agree with his ultimate decision to kill the film deal rather than surrender creative control of the script. Still, he and Dan Welch clearly have bright futures.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist