As Taylors

The Taylor Versions #0.5

by Jen Calonita

Para fãs de Taylor Swift e de histórias cheias de girl power, música e gargalhadas.

Quatro amigas. Um nome em comum. Uma paixão por Taylor Swift.

A Taylor — ou Teffy, como a família lhe chama — está aterrorizada por ir para o 5.º ano.

Tudo o que ela queria era passar despercebida… mas, logo no primeiro dia, descobre que vai ser impossível: na sua turma há quatro raparigas chamadas Taylor! Pelo menos, há duas coisas em que todas concordam: a Taylor Swift é a maior cantora e compositora de sempre… e elas vão mesmo precisar de arranjar alcunhas.

De repente, a Teffy vê-se fora da sua zona de conforto: faz audições para as cheerleaders, começa um pequeno negócio de pulseiras da amizade e, quando a digressão The Eras Tour chega à cidade, as quatro amigas prometem fazer tudo para conseguir bilhetes.

No entanto, uma traição inesperada muda tudo. A Teffy está a aprender a defender-se e a dizer o que pensa — só que isso não é nada fácil. Será que vai conseguir manter as novas amizades?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Music, Young Adult, Childrens

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2025

About the author

Hi Goodreads!
I'm Jen Calonita, a MG and YA author who loves what I do because it lets me connect with all of you (and no, I wasn't intending for that to rhyme!).

I've been writing ever since I can remember, but it was fourth grade when I put my "three wishes" for a genie down on paper. They were:
#1. Buy all the Cabbage Patch Kids in the world and give them away for free (because apparently that was how I rolled).
#2. I wanted a mansion, limo, lake house, pool and speed boat (still sounds quite nice).
#3. I wanted to be an author for young readers, which I am!

I love writing novels for teens (and for savvy grown ups who know that YA rocks at any age). My first series was "Secrets of My Hollywood Life" and it followed a teen star named Kaitlin Burke who struggled with the fame game. I have also written the stand-alone novels Sleepaway Girls, it's companion book, Summer State of Mind and the Belles series.

I've been writing middle grade too and am having so much fun with my series Fairy Tale Reform School! The fourth book in this series about a school run by former villains is called Tricked and will be out March 2018. Ever wonder what it would be like if your parents got a job with someone like Taylpr Swift? My other middle grade series, VIP, follows super fan Mackenzie Lowell as she tours with her favorite band, Perfect Storm.

I promise to give book updates here, and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or my website. I hope I hear from you!

xo
Jen

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll probably get some side-eyes for this; HOWEVER, I think that Calonita did some interesting things with this book.

What Worked: At first glance, The Taylors appears to be a middle grade realistic fiction book solely for younger readers that are fans of Taylor Swift. However, I think it's a little bit more than that. Calonita does a wonderful job weaving in the complex experiences of tweens trying to make friends, find their place in the world, and survive middle school. It illustrates what it's like to find those friends you cherish for a lifetime. I must admit that even I didn't expect much going into this novel, but was pleasantly surprised.

What Didn't Work: Unfortunately, this book is laced with Taylor Swift related content and quite often pop culture has a way of quickly aging a book. I know that younger readers who are Swifties will enjoy this immensely, but it's something to keep in mind.

Overall, this was a fun, interesting read and I'm looking forward to picking up the spin-off series where the characters are older.

[Iris Bicho · Rating 3 out of 5]

É fofo e giro para fãs da Taylor mas é bem juvenil. Recomendo imenso para jovens de 12/14 anos ;)

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, um. I’m literally crying. I just finished a middle grade novel about four girls named Taylor who are also Taylor swift fans trying to earn money to go to the Eras concert and legit TEARS are streaming down my face 😂 did NOT see that coming. My 9YO Swiftie picked this up at the scholastic book fair and loved it so much she asked me to read it. OF COURSE I said yes to that request, and honestly enjoyed it! It was darling, and the 5th grade drama was entirely appropriate and moral. And the writing was so cute! Truly! Still, did NOT predict how emotional I would become at the end but, hey! Sometimes you bawl through the end of a book targeted towards 4th and 5th grade Taylor swift fans. Hahaha

[aarya (💜ashlynn💜)]

dnf

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for an advanced copy!
Rating: 4/5

This is very much a middle grade book, and I was interested in reading it ahead of time for my classroom. I have so many kids come into my classroom who have had Taylor Swift in their life since they were born. This is such a love letter to those kids who have had her as a role model for their life and the power of friendship. This was such a sweet, short book for those who love Taylor Swift! I love that all the chapters are named after Taylor's songs. I'm excited to buy this for my classroom!

[Sreenidhi C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen never fails to amaze me! This book was so incredible and I enjoyed reading every bit of it! I loved the bond that the Taylors had and how their friendship was so strong throughout all of the ups and downs. It was so cool to see references of other books from some of my favorite authors! This book definitely deserves more than 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Breena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh this book is just DARLING! Teffy is SUCH a fun protagonist and it was really nice to watch her grow into her friendship with the Taylors and gain so much confidence! The ending was absolutely adorable (i’m crying at work). Totally fun and TOTALLY SO CUTE!

[Emma Presnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO CUTE I’m literally crying

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik kreeg een recensie exemplaar van dit boek voor mijn dochter, maar heb uiteraard ook zelf meegelezen! Wat een leuk boek is dit voor meiden van +/- 9 tot 14 jaar.

In dit verhaal volgen we Taylor, een meisje dat naar een nieuwe school gaat. Ze vindt het enorm spannend en vraagt zich af of ze wel vriendinnen zal maken. Gelukkig blijkt dat er in haar klas nog drie Taylors zitten, die ook nog eens net als zij Swiftie zijn, dus ze voelt zich al snel op haar gemak. De vier meiden beleven een hoop dingen die herkenbaar zullen zijn voor jonge meiden. Van onzekerheid en omgaan met pestkoppen op school tot slaapfeestjes en giebelen met je vriendinnen. En als de lezer ook nog eens Taylor Swift fan is, zit er extra veel herkenbaars in.

Het doel van de vier Taylors (die overigens Teffy, TS, Tay-Tay en Taylor genoemd worden om de boel een beetje uit elkaar te houden) is natuurlijk om naar een concert van Taylor Swift te gaan. Kaartjes zijn enorm duur en bijna niet te krijgen, maar de meiden gaan creatief te werk met geld verdienen, in de hoop toch te kunnen gaan.

Ik vond het een enorm leuk boek en mijn dochter van bijna 10 ook. Voor mij voelde het nostalgisch, voor haar was het een verhaal over grote meiden die een paar jaar verder zijn dan zij, maar dezelfde interesses hebben. Mijn dochter is ook een enorme Swiftie én ze is naar de Eras Tour geweest. Voor haar dus ook veel herkenning in het boek.

De toon van het boek is zo positief en het las lekker weg. Wel wat vertaalkeuzes tegengekomen die ik wat apart vond, maar de doorsnee lezer zal zich daar niet bewust van zijn.

We zagen dat dit deel 1 is in een serie en we zien er nu al enorm naar uit om het volgende deel te lezen!

4.5 ster voor dit eerste deel!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book zero stars I would!! Reading this is how non Taylor fans must feel about having to hear about her.

I've read 12 going on 22 and loved it and loved the Taylor references.

But this was like crappy fan fiction. And yes I realize this is middle grade but oh my god it was too much.

And there was so many things that were so corny and so cringy.

The book starts with Teffy getting ready for the first day of 5th grade. They're at a 5-8 middle school. Apparently none of her old friends are at this school? Or she just didn't have friends? unclear.

So middle school starts and no way! Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR girls all named Taylor. Oh and they're all supposedly named after Taylor Swift. (So the book is set in fall of 2024, and the girls are 10, so all these parents were huge fans between debut and red that they all named their kids AFTER Taylor. Weird.

So they all go by some version of Taylors name (Taylor, Teffy, TS, and Tay Tay). Some normal middle school stuff happens, it's mostly fine. Minus the WAY TOO MUCH AMOUNT of Taylor references. Like referring to her by her full name, Taylor Alison Swift. Or one of the worst parts when they refer to her as mother. GAG ME.

The ending was hands down the worst thing ever though. It was so dang ridiculous and some of the stupidest crap I've ever read. So at the very end they go to tailgate because they couldn't get tickets. Which could have been a great ending of like not everything works out but they made new friends and had fun.

But nope. Somehow they are interviewed on live news in a segment that felt way too long. (Guess it was a slow news night in Indianapolis) And woah of course, someone from Taylor's team was watching (guess it was a slow night for her team) and they give the girls tickets. Not just any tickets, VIP tickets. Oh and as they are going into the stadium they just happen to pass the girl who's been bulling Telly because of course they are. OH BUT THAT'S NOT IT. All 4 are invited up to get the 22 hat, they all get to hug Taylor. You that's totally a thing that happened on the Era's tour. Groups getting the hat.

So many times I wanted to throw this book out of my hate for it but I had to see it through. I did buy this book for my classroom so I am interested in seeing if the core audience feels different.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay let me just say what an awesome book this was Taylor Bennett (Teffy to her friends and family) is terrified to start middle school turns out there’s three other girls in her homeroom class all named Taylor and they all agree Taylor Swift is the greatest singer-songwriter of all time and they are definitely going to need nicknames soon Teffy is out of her comfort zone, trying out for cheerleading and starting a friendship bracelet making business I loved Teffy, but the Taylor I loved most was TS for her determination and heart and my second favourite was Taylor Perez who is a total #girlboss this book deals with what all middle school girls deal with, first day jitters, mean girls, and of course angst I remembered my first day of high school and this brought back a lot of memories my favourite line was you need to learn alongside cringe definitely something Mother would say if Taylor Swift saw this or even read this, she would be proud very proud Long Live the Eras Tour Long Live Taylor Swift 💚💛💜❤️🩵🩷🩶💙🤍🧡

[Alexis Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK OMG

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen Calonita’s school-based, Swiftie-rich story will be a favorite among the grades 4-6 crowd who love all things Taylor!

Taylor “Teffy” Bennett is starting middle school and already knows that none of the students in her homeroom class are from her elementary school and making friends is difficult for her. But, after chatting with the cut out on her mirror of namesake, Taylor Swift, she is determined to speak up more, try something new and let others see all she has to offer. The rest of the book follows Teffy as she first meets Taylor “Tay-Tay,” then discovers two other Taylors (TS and Taylor) in Mr. Ball’s homeroom. The four strike up a friendship that may begin with a shared name and love of popstar Swift, but turns into something much more lasting as they try out for cheerleading, strive to create and sell friendship bracelets and earn enough money to get tickets to the Indianapolis stop on the Eras tour.

Until the culminating tailgating celebration of the concert, there is plenty of school and friendship drama for any who love reading the ups and downs of middle school and seeing how similar those scenarios are to those in their own lives. The four Taylors have unique personalities but find shared interests and develop a loyalty to one another that is a fine example of how to weather the inevitable mistakes that will always be made when people are involved! For diehard Swift fans, Calonita’s detailed accounting of the concert excitement will make them almost feel like they were there, especially if a soundtrack is playing while they read!

Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. While race of the girls is not explicitly stated, naming conventions, some physical descriptions and the book’s cover imply that Teffy and TS are Caucasian, Taylor is Hispanic and Tay-Tay is Black. Family configurations seem to be traditional two parent homes and one with a single dad raising his daughter.

Note: At the same time Calonita’s The Taylors is released, Elizabeth Eulberg’s Love Stories: The Taylors Version #1) will hit shelves and features the foursome as they begin high school.

Thanks for the print arc, Scholastic and the 2025 Texas Library Association annual conference.

[Elizabeth Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four young girls are all named Taylor after Taylor Swift because their parents are swifties and so are they.

I actually sorta struggled for a bit as to how to rate this book because I'm trying to balance my enjoyment level and how much I think it's going to be enjoyed by/is appropriate for the children it's the intended audience for.

I found the core story to be quite sweet. Four girls who bond over this thing that makes them unique while dealing with a school bully and other pressures in their lives. I found it relatable to things I was going through at that time and thought the messaging of speaking up for yourself, apologizing when wrong, etc was important.

It was a bit hard though not to find the book incredibly cheesy at times. I think there's a certain level of it that is expected, but at times a lyric would be dropped and if you're not a swiftie yourself, the intended meaning could come off as quite confusing.

I recommend this though to any little swifties in your life. I think they'll have a pretty good time.

Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for the ARC to review.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good trip down memory lane. Nostalgia for being in middle school and just having those worries, cares, friends, and hopes. 😌💖

Good Taylor references ❤️💜💖💛🩶

A good book to add to elementary and middle school libraries 📚

Also came here because I will always owe Jen Calonita for her “Secrets of My Hollywood Life Series” ⭐️❣️📖

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so goofy, lol. Can definitely see how this would be enjoyed by little Swifties though! Some of the references were so goofy and ridiculous, especially the ending. But heart-warming! Made me genuinely miss being at the Eras tour!

[Darling Bookish Swiftie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 and aggressively biased. Not sorry in the slightest.

I don't know that else to say about this book other than it would have meant EVERYTHING to me at age 12 when I struggled to make friends and faced a lot of haters for loving Taylor Swift. I would have printed this book on my forehead. I would have changed my name to Taylor. I would have preordered every sequel.

As a 27-year-old reading this, it is pure joy and sparkle and inner child healing. It makes me so happy girls support girls and their passions; and the idea of so many Swifties naming their kids Taylor makes me CACKLE. Incredible.

This book is a friendship bracelet for all ages. I really think it's a book Taylor herself would love because it is so Shameless in celebrating Taylor. The author really went 'its me, hi. I'm the swiftie it's me' and gave us enough easter eggs to choke a rabbit with.

It's excessive. I love it. This is exactly how loud I wanted to be about my love for Taylor when I was 12 and it makes me so happy to see it in print now.

This book is not for everyone. It is for Swifties and those who enjoy joy.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry SO many times. I loved reading it, seeing the Easter eggs, and reliving the eras experience!

[Erin Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really a cute book for young Taylor swift fans- lots of historically accurate details about Taylor and the eras tour. Fun and hopefully story, also touches on the subject of starting a new school and making new friends. Will be grabbing this one for my little swiftie, hope this group of Taylor’s can continue on in a series!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

was there bits of this that had my skin crawling with cringe? yeah its a book for 12 year old
did I also cry like a baby at the ending last night? yeah what about it

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and I’m definitely not the target audience. Not just about Swifties, The Taylors is about being lonely and then finding your people. It’s about trying, falling down, getting up and trying again. About dealing with adversity, (and adversaries.) And finding out that while you may not always get what you want, sometimes you get what you need.

[Codi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute for any young swifties out there. It completely brought me back to the magical time of the Eras Tour. You can tell the author is a big fan because there was many specifics and details only swifties would know! That said, this wouldn’t be a book for a non fan because I don’t think they would find it enjoyable. I would highly recommend for the swifties in your life!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic, an ARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this prequel to Eulberg's The Taylors: Love Stories, we find out how the group got together as they started middle school in fifth grade. Teffy is new to Harrison Middle School, and meets Taylor, Tay Tay, and TS in her homeroom. All four girls were named after the singer, and adopt nicknames to limit confusion. Taylor is the youngest of five, and so tired of hand-me-downs that she asks to be allowed to keep her full name! The group bonds over wanting to go to the Eras concert, although tickets are expensive. Mean girl Hannah boasts that her parents are taking her, and says that she is allowed to invite one friend, which gives her a lot of social power. The Taylors (as they call themselves) know they can't count on Hannah's invitation, and vow to stick together and work to raise funds so that they can all go. They also try out for cheerleading, and help each other with the routines, eventually making the 5th and 6th grade squad of 24 girls. This makes their schedules a little tight; they all have various other things going on in their lives, and commit to make 200 beaded friendship bracelets so they can earn $400, which leads to more requests for the hand made jewelry. It's not enough, however, and even after trying to gain some attention on social media in hopes of winning tickets, they content themselves with "Tay-gating" at the venue with one of the mothers. There, they are interviewed by local news media about the fact that they are all named after the singer, and also the fact that they took all the money they earned for tickets and donated it to the local library that had recently suffered a fire. The singer hears this interview and not only invites them to hear the concert in the VIP section, but hugs the girls and gives Teffy a hat that they are all supposed to share. They, in turn, give the singer a bracelet, which she puts on right there! (Insert appropriate squeals.)
Strengths: Middle school students have the time and the emotional capacity to embrace fandoms in a way that becomes difficult as one gets older. This is important, because these often stay with people their whole lives. Those 7th graders obsessed with Tolkien? They grow up to be my son-in-law and lead to a Tolkien themed bathroom! I personally still own a prairie dress in case I have to go in costume as Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I have friends who still have as core parts of their personalities interests in the Beatles and the original Star Trek. Calonita (who is also very interested in Disney) understands this, and paints the Taylors' interests in Swift with an understanding brush. I'm sure the drama over the expensive tickets was repeated again and again in middle schools everywhere, and villains like Hannah, who rubbed her tickets in everyone's faces, emerged. The girls all have different interests, but decide to try out for cheerleading so they can be together. My favorite part was that they actively tried to earn money, and put it toward a good cause when they realized they couldn't buy tickets.
Weaknesses: While I was glad to see a middle school that included fifth grade (mine did), having 24 girls on the cheerleading squad seemed like a very large number. Also, if the Taylors are going to the Eras tour in 5th grade, having them be in high school in the next book didn't quite line up, not that Young readers will care.
What I really think: Calonita is clearly a fan of Ms. Swift (check out her fantastic 12 to 22), so brings a lot of love and energy to this story. This is middle school wish fulfillment at its finest, so I will definitely purchase a copy. If you are having a Scholastic book fair, make sure to ask for an extra box of these books if you have a solid Swift fan base.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all: drop everything and watch the best book trailer I have seen in years for introducing these characters; I am immediately mad this isn't an actual trailer for an upcoming Netflix series because that's what it looks like, and also what I now hope I can wish into future existence.

Now: I came across this book on someone else's Goodreads TBR, where I was delighted to learn that it was conceived as a tandem release with an older version of the characters in YA, penned by Elizabeth Eulberg (Love Stories; see my review here). Not least because she & Calonita are both authors I've read from multiple times in the past.

Still, I was surprised when this came in with a little "1" stamped on the spine, and now I have a theory that the reason it bizarrely decided to pretend there is a place anywhere in the U.S. where 5th graders (age 10-going-on-11) are in middle school, is that it's going to be 4 books long, one for each year and one from each girl's perspective. Prove me wrong! But actually don't, otherwise I will be screaming about this mind-bogglingly nonsensical choice forever.

THAT SAID: I'm being a little generous with my rating given that I rate on personal enjoyment -- the target audience is definitely elementary school -- but at the same time, this was just so stinking cute. I think it would be absolutely be 6-star-awesome for its target audience of the youngest Swifties, but even for me, I loved & believed in the friendship between these girls immediately.

Teffy is my current favorite, closely followed by TS, but I truly do love all of these girls. Even if I was constantly flipping back and forth to the (very helpful) portraits at the beginning to keep names straight with faces. I LOVED the "eras" they dressed up for on Halloween (also depicted on cover).

Also, yes, the wish fulfillment is truly ridiculous by the end, even more ridiculous than them insisting they won't even *try* for chances at winning a mere pair of tickets, it's five or bust. Um, where are the parents telling them to consider that if you have two free tickets, you only have to earn the money for three, which is much easier? And that even if you can't manage that, you can still stick to your silly pact of all or nothing and easily sell them at face value to another Swiftie? On a related note,

if I managed to raise a thousand bucks and still couldn't afford enough tickets, how is "donate it all to charity" their first and only idea. Put it in a savings account? Keep your portion for next year's spending money? At least use it at the overpriced merch table, which they somehow still spent money at??)

BUT...gosh darn it, it's just so cute. I like that each chapter is named after a song title. I especially love that it's set in Indiana, since a) underrepresented midwest state rep! and b) that's where most of the people I follow on BookTube went to their Eras concert, if they went to one. (I obviously did not, nor have I watched any clips, much less the concert movie, myself. I'm not ready yet. I'm still working up the resolve to listen to Midnights).

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 💚💛💜❤️🩵🩷🩶🤎💙🤍🧡 (or 5/5 stars for those that don’t speak Taylor Swift)

When my 10 year old daughter and I first saw a copy of The Taylors on her Scholastic Book Fair catalog, we looked at each other and said “WE NEED TO READ THIS!” A huge thank you to both NetGalley and Scholastic for sending me an advanced reader copy, and an even bigger thank you to Scholastic for providing advanced copies to the Book Fair for purchase! The day I was approved, my daughter came home with her copy and we did a buddy read.

In this story we meet Taylor, or Teffy as her family calls her. Wait — not that Taylor! Our Teffy is getting ready to start 5th grade, where she is split from her old friends. Speaking from experience, starting at a new school and having to make new friends is HARD! Imagine her surprise when she arrives to her homeroom and finds not 1, not 2 but 3 other girls named Taylor, who are also named after THE Taylor Swift, and are Swifities!

This story navigates those uncertain days of making friends, fitting in and finding your place when you are still trying to figure yourself out. The girls all try out for the cheerleading squad, navigate lunch room drama and discover the joys of sleepovers with singing along to Taylor’s music. The Era’s Tour is coming to town, and the girls NEED to find a way to make it there. Friendship bracelets can be found throughout this story, but fifth grade just wouldn’t be the same if there wasn’t some drama! A betrayal! A fight! That dread you feel at home when you realize you have to wake up and go to school and can’t hide from it! How will Teffy ever make it to The Eras Tour?

This was such a fun, fast read that both my daughter and I gave 5 stars to, even though I couldn’t get Eras Tour tickets when she came to our city. My daughter said this sounds just like stuff that happens around her in 5th grade all the time, except starting in new school. A great read for Swifties, and anyone who worries about fitting in, finding friends or finding those elusive concert tickets.

There is a heart on the spine with a number 1 on it — I really hope this means that this will be a series, because it will be one I will be reading with my daughter!

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Taylors is an upcoming October middle grade release that follows four girls who bond over their shared love of Taylor Swift. The story focuses on Teffy (a nickname for Taylor); she’s about to start middle school in Indianapolis and is nervous about starting over in a new school. Luckily, Teffy quickly makes friends with three other girls in her homeroom class also named Taylor, Swifties all. The four bond over their shared love of the singer and their goal of raising money to buy tickets to the coveted Eras Tour. The novel follows the four girls, specifically Teffy, as they make friendship bracelets, follow leads on ticket offers, and try out for the cheerleading team. Teffy is white, and the other Taylors in the group are described (and represented on the cover) as being Black, white, and Latine. 

This book is a love letter to Taylor Swift and Swiftie culture. Every chapter is titled after a Taylor Swift song, and the girls constantly sprinkle Taylor Swift lyric references in their conversations with one another. The novel focuses on friendship and standing up for yourself, and illustrates this theme through the actions of Teffy and her friends. The novel also covers topics relatable to tween readers, like begging parents for a cellphone and dealing with lunch table popularity. The novel accurately described the heartbreaking reality of trying to purchase tickets for the Eras Tour, and the barriers that the girls faced trying to buy them (outrageous resale prices, scalpers/scammers, Ticketmaster queue drama, etc.). Also perfectly replicated – the real-life events of the Eras Tour, from the tailgating (or “Tay-gating”) parties that took place in the parking lot, to the venue at Lucas Oil Stadium, to mentioning that the opener to that leg of the tour was Gracie Abrams. This book is a quick, sweet read, perfect for elementary and middle school readers. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Nathalie | I use StoryGraph (booksandsparkles)! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Van De Leukste Kinderboeken kreeg ik het boek ‘De Taylors’ opgestuurd. Een boek over vier meiden die net beginnen op de middenschool en midden in alle nieuwe chaos hun plekje proberen te vinden. Ze heten alle vier Taylor, zijn vernoemd naar dé Taylor Swift, en uiteraard zijn ze Swifties. Door deze overeenkomsten weten ze elkaar al snel te vinden en ontwikkelen ze een heel bijzondere band met elkaar. Het enige wat ze nog niet hebben: kaartjes voor The Era’s Tour, maar hoe kunnen ze dat voor elkaar krijgen?

‘De Taylors’ is een ontzettend leuk boek waarin vriendschap, het voor elkaar opnemen en het beste in elkaar naar boven halen centraal staat. Het zit ontzettend boordevol verwijzingen naar Taylor Swift en is daarom ook het perfecte boek voor alle Swifties (vanaf 9 jaar). Ieder hoofdstuk begint met een titel van een Swift-liedje en is leuk versierd met vriendschapsarmbandjes. De vier unieke Taylors zijn erg leuk neergezet en ik vond het leuk hoe van ieder meisje de positieve en sterke kanten werden benadrukt. Het gaat zo over de essentiële dingen in het leven: er voor elkaar zijn, niet opgeven, elkaar supporten waar het kan. Hele mooie thema’s; zeker voor de jonge tieners een belangrijk iets om bij stil te staan.

Een boek vol positiviteit en hoe verder je in het boek komt, hoe vrolijker het je maakt. Het is wel duidelijk een middle grade boek, wat merkbaar is door het taalgebruik / de dialogen tussen de meiden, maar toch zijn het heel herkenbare dingen - ofwel van vroeger, maar ook als volwassene. Het was leuk om te lezen hoe deze meiden elkaar versterken, niet opgeven en zo een voorbeeld kunnen zijn voor iedereen. En alle Taylor-verwijzingen? In het begin vond ik het wat veel, maar als jonge fan kan ik me zo voorstellen dat het helemaal te gek is. Het is gewoon echt een lief en schattig verhaal!

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love reading middle grade books. In fact, I love them so much that when people ask me about my favorite books, the first ones I think of are the ones I read in grades 4 – 6. And now, even as an adult, I like reading them for a break from some heavier reads.

The Taylors is the sort of book that will go over well with the intended audience. Four girls named Taylor whose parents all picked their name because of Taylor Swift? This is probably happening in real time. Lots of people name their kids based on their favorite person in pop culture. And it makes for a great read.

To distinguish the four tweens, they adopt nicknames: Teffy, TS, Tay Tay and Taylor. The four begin a friendship that begins with their common name and love of the real Taylor Swift, and it turns into deep friendships. All four are on board with raising money in the hopes to get tickets to Swift’s concert in Indianapolis, so they naturally sell friendship bracelets. I saw another reviewer say that the many references to Taylor and her music would date the book, but I heartily disagree. Taylor’s been around for twenty years; she’s not going anywhere.

What I really liked about this book was the fact that each of the Taylors has a unique personality, even though they all love some of the same things. They become deeply loyal to each other and learn more about life’s trials and tribulations along the way.

This book was a neat way to get inside the psyche of some of Taylor’s youngest fans, I love the friendship-focused angle that was a light and breezy read. And don’t miss the sister novel: Love Stories (The Taylors Version #1) by Elizabeth Eulberg.

[Anita Schoenmaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik werd benaderd door Deleukstekinderboeken met de vraag of ik het boek 𝘋𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴 wilde lezen en recenseren. Hoe ze erbij kwamen dat ik iets met Taylor Swift heb, is mij een raadsel 😉. Het is alweer even geleden dat ik een kinderboek las – waarschijnlijk sinds ik stopte met voorlezen aan mijn kinderen – maar ik vond het verrassend leuk om er weer eens in te duiken en te zien hoe jeugdboeken tegenwoordig zijn.

𝗛𝗲𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝘁 𝗸𝗼𝗿𝘁:

Taylor is vernoemd naar Taylor Swift en vindt veel steun in haar muziek. Die steun kan ze goed gebruiken, want ze gaat voor het eerst naar middle school – best spannend! Gelukkig maakt ze al snel nieuwe vriendinnen: drie klasgenootjes die óók Taylor heten. Samen besluiten ze geld te verdienen om kaartjes te kopen voor de Eras Tour. Maar zal dat ze lukken?

Het is duidelijk dat de schrijfster een echte Swiftie is of zich grondig heeft verdiept in de wereld van Taylor Swift. Alles klopt tot in detail: van stukjes uit songteksten tot het drama van de kaartverkoop. Een leuk extraatje: de binnenkant van de kaft staat vol met vriendschapsarmbandjes, en de hoofdstuktitels zijn allemaal gebaseerd op Taylor’s nummers.
Hoofdpersoon Taylor – die ook wel Teffy wordt genoemd, zodat de vier Taylors uit elkaar te houden zijn – is een onzeker meisje dat haar plek probeert te vinden. Dat maakt haar herkenbaar voor jonge lezers. Ze worstelt met onzekerheid, vriendschap en de druk om erbij te horen, zeker tegenover een populair maar gemeen klasgenootje.
Voor jonge Taylor Swift-fans is dit een heerlijk boek vol herkenning, muziek en vriendschap. Een echte aanrader! Ik mag mijn exemplaar schenken aan de school waar mijn dochter stage loopt – ik weet zeker dat de leerlingen daar erg blij mee zullen zijn.

[Alice magical library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! This was ( kind of) what my life was like when I joined Secondary School, as it was great because it was all about finding your people and being yourself!

Taylor (or Teffy) is terrified to start Middle School. However, she is shocked to find out that 4 girls in her homeroom are also called Taylor and are absolute Swifties! Soon, Teffy is starting to really push herself out of her comfort zone, trying out for the cheerleading squad and starting a friendship bracelet business. And when the Eras Tour comes to town, the Taylors will do whatever it takes to get tickets. But, soon everything begins to fall apart with an unexpected betrayal. Teffy is learning to speak up for herself, but it’s really hard. Will she be able to say what’s on her mind and keep her new friend group for good?

I loved this book! It was absolutely amazing! I was so excited for the characters in this book, as they deserved everything good that happened in this book. I loved all of the characters, and how much they achieved during the book. The storyline was really good, as there were certainly bits in the books that I did not see coming, and it was just a very cozy book, and I understood every tiny reference in this book, which just felt amazing. I can’t wait to read the sister book to this!