The Taylors by Jen Calonita (Scholastic, 224 pages, grades 3-6). Taylor, a.k.a. Teffy, is nervous about starting fifth grade, which is at the middle school. She’s surprised and delighted to discover three other girls named Taylor in her class, each one named, as she is, for Taylor Swift. The pop superstar’s Eras Tour is coming to their hometown of Indianapolis, and all four are desperate to get tickets. They come up with different strategies, most notably selling friendship bracelets to try to raise the exorbitant sums the tickets are fetching online. When not pursuing their Swiftie passions, the four try out for cheerleading and navigate the occasionally bumpy roads of fifth grade, including dealing with mean girl Hannah and some misunderstandings among themselves. Although they’re not able to realize their dream of buying tickets, they decide to attend the Tay-gating party next to the stadium, where their loyal friendship pays rich dividends in the form of a surprise truly worthy of Taylor Swift.

Although this story already feels slightly dated (the Eras Tour ended almost a year ago), the friendship of Teffy, Tay-Tay, TS, and Taylor is truly an inspiring one, showing four girls whose loyalty and integrity helps them achieve their lofty goals. Although it’s technically a middle school story, I like that the girls are in fifth grade, making this a great choice for elementary readers. 

Let’s Get Together by Brandy Colbert (Clarion Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7).  In alternating chapters, Kenya and Liberty tell their story of sixth grade. Liberty’s been in the foster system most of her life and has finally landed in a good home with a woman named Joey. She’s nervous about her first day of middle school, but doesn’t expect the surprise that meets her there: a popular girl named Kenya who looks exactly like her. There’s tension between the two girls from the start, and a big fight at the sixth-grade mixer lands them both in the principal’s office, where Kenya’s father realizes he’s finally found his long lost daughter–Kenya’s twin. As the girls learn about their past, they slowly become good friends and decide there’s only one way to a happy ending: get Kenya’s dad and Joey to fall in love and get married. The author’s note tells of her love of the original Parent Trap movie that inspired this story as well as additional information about children in the U.S. foster care system.

Those who have watched either of the Parent Trap movies will appreciate the parallels in this take-off, although Liberty’s story of being taken by her mom, who struggled with mental illness and drug abuse, has a more serious tone, and also provides a more realistic reason why parents would separate their twins. Despite that, the story is fun and the alternating chapters gives readers a chance to get to know each twin equally well.