Jazz Taylor
contemporary middle grade author
Jazz Taylor, a pen name for Jessica Lewis, is a middle-grade author of cute contemporaries. Her debut novel, Meow or Never, is about a girl who accidentally gets cast as the lead in her school play, and overcomes her stage fright with the help of an adorable cat and her new crush.
A writer, receptionist, and huge cat fan, she loves watching cooking shows (despite being unable to make anything more difficult than ramen noodles) and lives with her hilarious grandmother in Alabama.
Coming Summer 2026
The Adopted Kids' Guide to Surviving Seventh Grade: A cowritten MG by authors Jazz Taylor, K. A. Reynolds and Eric Smith about adopted kids (written by adopted adults!) who must overcome the awkwardness about talking about their unique experience with adoption in order to heal and make new friends along the way. Available Summer 2026.
Most Recent Release
From the author of Meow or Never and Starting From Scratch, a story about friendship, anxiety, and internet culture.
​
Nova doesn’t lie — she tells hopes for the future. That’s why she tells her mom she got an A on her math quiz, even though she got a B. It’s also why she doesn’t tell her mom about her secret Instagram that she’s almost old enough to have.
When a viral video of her cat pushes her into the popular crowd, and next to her crush, Lily, Nova tells even more “hopes for the future” to try to fit in.
The more lies she tells, the more everything spins out of control! Nova wants to come clean…but will it mean losing everything?