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Maggie & Abby #1
Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort
Six. Weeks. That’s how long Maggie’s been waiting for her best friend and partner in crime, Abby, to come home from Camp Cantaloupe. Half of summer break may have been lost, but Abby is finally heading back!
Only when Abby arrives, she’s. . . different. She doesn’t want to play any of their usual epic spy games. All New Abby wants to do is talk about camp things and plan campy activities—she even has the nerve to call Maggie’s massive, award-worthy pillow fort a “cabin.”
But at least Abby’s excited to build a “cabin” of her own. And when Maggie discovers that a pillow in the back of her fort mysteriously leads right into Abby’s new one, the two friends are suddenly just an arm’s length away. Soon they’re adding links and building more forts, until Maggie looks behind one pillow too many and finders herself face-to-face with. . . the authorities.
Turns out their little pillow fort network isn’t the first to exist. It’s not even the second, or third, or hundredth. A massive network of linked-up pillow and sofa forts already spans the globe, and the kids who run it are not happy with Maggie and Abby. And they are not fooling around.
With just three days to pass the North American Founding and Allied Forts Alliance’s outrageous entrance tests or lose the links forever, Maggie and Abby pull out all the stops to try to save their network. But the kids on NAFAFA’s Council have their own agenda, and it just so happens Maggie’s fort might actually hold the key to a mystery that’s gone unanswered for generations.
There’s only a little bit of summer left to burn, and Maggie and Abby are determined to win back their pillow fort freedom. But can their mission—and their scrappy homemade network—survive the mission?
Only when Abby arrives, she’s. . . different. She doesn’t want to play any of their usual epic spy games. All New Abby wants to do is talk about camp things and plan campy activities—she even has the nerve to call Maggie’s massive, award-worthy pillow fort a “cabin.”
But at least Abby’s excited to build a “cabin” of her own. And when Maggie discovers that a pillow in the back of her fort mysteriously leads right into Abby’s new one, the two friends are suddenly just an arm’s length away. Soon they’re adding links and building more forts, until Maggie looks behind one pillow too many and finders herself face-to-face with. . . the authorities.
Turns out their little pillow fort network isn’t the first to exist. It’s not even the second, or third, or hundredth. A massive network of linked-up pillow and sofa forts already spans the globe, and the kids who run it are not happy with Maggie and Abby. And they are not fooling around.
With just three days to pass the North American Founding and Allied Forts Alliance’s outrageous entrance tests or lose the links forever, Maggie and Abby pull out all the stops to try to save their network. But the kids on NAFAFA’s Council have their own agenda, and it just so happens Maggie’s fort might actually hold the key to a mystery that’s gone unanswered for generations.
There’s only a little bit of summer left to burn, and Maggie and Abby are determined to win back their pillow fort freedom. But can their mission—and their scrappy homemade network—survive the mission?
291 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2018
24 people are currently reading
1498 people want to read
About the author
Will Taylor
7 books98 followersWill Taylor (he/they) is an award-winning author, freelance marketing copywriter, and honeybee fan. He lives in the heart of Seattle surrounded by all the seagulls and not quite too many teacups, and when not writing can be found searching for the perfect bakery, talking to trees in parks, and completely losing his cool when he meets longhaired dachshunds. His books include The Language of Seabirds; The School for Wicked Witches series; Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort; Maggie & Abby and the Shipwreck Treehouse; Slimed (as Liam Gray); and Catch That Dog!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 3, 2018
I am not even remotely embarrassed to say that I love this book with my entire heart. What a genuinely funny, smart, magical, empathetic, and 100% creative middle grade novel. I enjoyed it so much, from start to finish. Ignore the terrible fluff of a cover and turn off your grownup brain -- if you spend time on trying to figure out the hows and the whys of a pillow fort portal to Alaska you're already doing it wrong.
March 7, 2018
Wonderful middle grade tale as two best friends build pillow forts and discover portals to adventures that will amaze and delight readers of all ages. The author has taken regular activities and sprinkled imagination and creativity throughout, making this end of summer story of friendship and longing memorable. This is a delightful and witty tale sure to entertain readers. I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss.
November 21, 2020
Not my favorite read-aloud, but solid and my 12yo was interested. (Also totally brought up to her that my best friend from high school and I need linked pillow forts because we live too far away.)
October 18, 2018
Maggie has had a super boring summer. Due to some paperwork and deadline confusion, her best friend Abby got to go to summer camp while she had to stay home. She just knows Abby has been suffering through camp without her. When Abby returns, Maggie is ready to comfort her and make the most of the rest of their summer. But it turns out Abby has had a great time at camp, and this doesn't make Maggie feel very good. She'd probably be able to process her feelings more, except the girls discover that the pillow fort cabins they've made for their pretend summer camp now link to each other. And then they find that some of the other pillows in their forts link to other places, like Alaska, and this huge hub of pillow forts. But there's a group that oversees the building of pillow forts with links and it turns out Maggie and Abby have to pass a series of tests or their fort links will be shut down. Can they jump the council's hoops, even the somewhat ridiculous ones? And can they work out whatever has been between them since Abby got back from camp?
I would have been building way more pillow forts if I had read this as a child. It is just the kind of fantastical portal story I loved to dream about. Adult me did not like the bossy council and all the politics involved (ok, so kids aren't supposed to like that either) or how long it took for the girls to work out their issues. But I did like that they eventually worked out their issues. And friends growing up at different rates is a real thing middle graders have to deal with. I also really like the climax big adventure and all the people involved in that. (Just saying, Maggie's Mom is pretty awesome.) I thought the moose thing was a little weird, but that is probably also the adult me speaking. The kid me would have been all for following the moose. Hand this to imaginative middle graders with a good stash of pillow fort material.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content really. Maggie has a crush on one of Abby's brothers but it is pretty innocent. It is mentioned that Abby's dad is going on a date with a guy named Tamal, but the girls don't hear much of anything about it. One broken leg and concussion, but no blood or anything. Some devious plotting among other characters.
I would have been building way more pillow forts if I had read this as a child. It is just the kind of fantastical portal story I loved to dream about. Adult me did not like the bossy council and all the politics involved (ok, so kids aren't supposed to like that either) or how long it took for the girls to work out their issues. But I did like that they eventually worked out their issues. And friends growing up at different rates is a real thing middle graders have to deal with. I also really like the climax big adventure and all the people involved in that. (Just saying, Maggie's Mom is pretty awesome.) I thought the moose thing was a little weird, but that is probably also the adult me speaking. The kid me would have been all for following the moose. Hand this to imaginative middle graders with a good stash of pillow fort material.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content really. Maggie has a crush on one of Abby's brothers but it is pretty innocent. It is mentioned that Abby's dad is going on a date with a guy named Tamal, but the girls don't hear much of anything about it. One broken leg and concussion, but no blood or anything. Some devious plotting among other characters.
March 27, 2018
*I received and early DRC from edelweiss and the publisher. This does not affect my review*
This book was epically cute. I'm 34 and i desperately want to build a pillow fort now. I got a bit annoyed with Maggie at times, but in all honesty, I was a lot like her at her age. I felt like all my friends were growing up faster and moving on without me. In the end though, I thought Maggie and Abby's friendship was fantastic. I also loved Abby's brothers! and both of their parents were cool too. Highly recommend this one for your kiddos. Or you, if you love magic!
Diversity- Abby's family is hispanic, and her father is gay. Multiple side characters of color.
This book was epically cute. I'm 34 and i desperately want to build a pillow fort now. I got a bit annoyed with Maggie at times, but in all honesty, I was a lot like her at her age. I felt like all my friends were growing up faster and moving on without me. In the end though, I thought Maggie and Abby's friendship was fantastic. I also loved Abby's brothers! and both of their parents were cool too. Highly recommend this one for your kiddos. Or you, if you love magic!
Diversity- Abby's family is hispanic, and her father is gay. Multiple side characters of color.
August 13, 2018
Missing her best friend, who is away at camp, and her mother, whose work has taken her away from home more than it probably should, Maggie creates a pillow fort in her living room which has given her hours of enjoyment as she pretends to be a spy. When Abby returns home, they create a pillow fort in her room and it magically connects to Maggie’s in her living room and then to Maggie’s Uncle Joe who is on a solitary research trip in Alaska. The girls have stumbled into the world of NAFAFA (North American Founding and Allied Forts Alliance). As they get further involved, they are charged with doing a good deed for admittance and also not giving away the secrets of NAFAFA to anyone over the age of 13, but a serious situation arises and they just might not be able to meet NAFAFA’s strict rules in order to make the rescue they need to save a life.
This is a middle grade novel with lots of action and an interesting take on a fantasy topic (that pillow forts can open travel portals). The characters and their exploits will appeal to middle grade readers and the characters seem like very real girls. I enjoyed the plot points that even though they may be growing up at different rates, that they were able to work through their issues without resorting to “mean girl” behavior. I also thought that it was important that when they really needed adults to help solve a serious issue, they didn’t hesitate-they knew what was more important. There were also touches of incidental diversity as Abby and her family is Hispanic and her father has a new boyfriend. Both were handled effectively and as inclusively part of everyday life. I also enjoyed the fact that it had a good closure for a stand-alone story, but left it open for a whole new yet possibly related adventure in a forthcoming book. I would recommend this title for both school and public library collections.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON libraries.
This is a middle grade novel with lots of action and an interesting take on a fantasy topic (that pillow forts can open travel portals). The characters and their exploits will appeal to middle grade readers and the characters seem like very real girls. I enjoyed the plot points that even though they may be growing up at different rates, that they were able to work through their issues without resorting to “mean girl” behavior. I also thought that it was important that when they really needed adults to help solve a serious issue, they didn’t hesitate-they knew what was more important. There were also touches of incidental diversity as Abby and her family is Hispanic and her father has a new boyfriend. Both were handled effectively and as inclusively part of everyday life. I also enjoyed the fact that it had a good closure for a stand-alone story, but left it open for a whole new yet possibly related adventure in a forthcoming book. I would recommend this title for both school and public library collections.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON libraries.
March 1, 2018
Thank you to Will Taylor for providing #collabookation with an ARC to share.
I will admit, right off, that I thought a book about two girls building a perpetual pillow fort was going to be a quick, fluffy read. I stand corrected!
Maggie and Abby are next door neighbors and best friends, but there are fissures in their friendship. Maggie is more of an introvert, while Abby is eager to socialize with new people. What I loved most about their friendship in this book (there will be another ~ YAY!) is that they are just beginning to realize they are not always the package deal they have thought of themselves as. As they approach middle school, the reader gets the idea that there will be bumps ahead. But they have a genuine appreciation and love for each other, and this reader believes they will get over those bumps.
Then, there is the pillow fort. Turns out, their summer pillow fort has accidentally opened a portal to other pillow forts across the United States and possibly the world! This amazing feat is all fun and games until the NAFAFA (North American Founding and Allied Forts Alliance) must intervene. This is where pillow forts get serious - politics, power plays, and espionage are all involved. Abby and Maggie have to decide if they are up to the task of maintaining a pillow fort with world-wide connections.
Complex and elaborate, yet surprisingly easy to follow, and very entertaining! I often found myself marveling at Taylor's imaginative, yet pragmatic, ideas in this realm of pillow fort drama. There are so many small details that made me smile while making complete sense.
This book is wonderful for anyone who loves some realistic whimsy. Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillowfort balances perfectly between the frivolous and the serious, and left me wanting more adventure!
I will admit, right off, that I thought a book about two girls building a perpetual pillow fort was going to be a quick, fluffy read. I stand corrected!
Maggie and Abby are next door neighbors and best friends, but there are fissures in their friendship. Maggie is more of an introvert, while Abby is eager to socialize with new people. What I loved most about their friendship in this book (there will be another ~ YAY!) is that they are just beginning to realize they are not always the package deal they have thought of themselves as. As they approach middle school, the reader gets the idea that there will be bumps ahead. But they have a genuine appreciation and love for each other, and this reader believes they will get over those bumps.
Then, there is the pillow fort. Turns out, their summer pillow fort has accidentally opened a portal to other pillow forts across the United States and possibly the world! This amazing feat is all fun and games until the NAFAFA (North American Founding and Allied Forts Alliance) must intervene. This is where pillow forts get serious - politics, power plays, and espionage are all involved. Abby and Maggie have to decide if they are up to the task of maintaining a pillow fort with world-wide connections.
Complex and elaborate, yet surprisingly easy to follow, and very entertaining! I often found myself marveling at Taylor's imaginative, yet pragmatic, ideas in this realm of pillow fort drama. There are so many small details that made me smile while making complete sense.
This book is wonderful for anyone who loves some realistic whimsy. Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillowfort balances perfectly between the frivolous and the serious, and left me wanting more adventure!
March 27, 2018
Special thanks to Will Taylor for sending an advance reading copy to our #bookexcursion group. All opinions are my own.
Missing her best friend Abby who has been away at Camp Cantaloupe for six weeks, Maggie builds a pillow fort in her living room. When Abby returns, Maggie is excited to spend time with Abby, but her best friend seems different. Wanting to expand their circle, Abby is eager to start their own summer camp and invite more kids to join in their games.
After Maggie builds a cabin-fort in her own house, the girls are shocked to discover that their forts are not only mysteriously linked to one another but also to other pillow forts around the world. But these links are not available unless Maggie and Abby perform a good deed and become full members of NAFAFA (The North American Founding and Allied Fort Alliance). Gaining entry to this exclusive club is further complicated because of a power struggle among the NAFAFA council members as well as Maggie’s and Abby’s differing opinions on how to gain entry into the organization.
A blend of fantasy, mystery, and realistic fiction, Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Reading about the history and inner workings of NAFAFA made me wonder and laugh out loud. Maggie and Abby’s changing friendship tugged at my heart strings. The novel ends on a cliffhanger so I am so excited that Book 2 is already in the works!
Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort will be published in April 2018.
Missing her best friend Abby who has been away at Camp Cantaloupe for six weeks, Maggie builds a pillow fort in her living room. When Abby returns, Maggie is excited to spend time with Abby, but her best friend seems different. Wanting to expand their circle, Abby is eager to start their own summer camp and invite more kids to join in their games.
After Maggie builds a cabin-fort in her own house, the girls are shocked to discover that their forts are not only mysteriously linked to one another but also to other pillow forts around the world. But these links are not available unless Maggie and Abby perform a good deed and become full members of NAFAFA (The North American Founding and Allied Fort Alliance). Gaining entry to this exclusive club is further complicated because of a power struggle among the NAFAFA council members as well as Maggie’s and Abby’s differing opinions on how to gain entry into the organization.
A blend of fantasy, mystery, and realistic fiction, Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Reading about the history and inner workings of NAFAFA made me wonder and laugh out loud. Maggie and Abby’s changing friendship tugged at my heart strings. The novel ends on a cliffhanger so I am so excited that Book 2 is already in the works!
Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort will be published in April 2018.
May 6, 2019
This was cute. It could have used a lot more world building and fleshed out storytelling, but I really liked the idea. I love the historical elements to it, with famous people and the locked room in France! I certainly didn’t expect it to end on a cliffhanger, and I hope there is another story to explore the key and find out more about NAFAFA and if the girls can get their fort network back.
I genuinely think my favourite part of this book was Abby’s dad and his boyfriend Tamal. It was so sweet and understated and not a big deal at all to the story, but a wonderful addition to making LGBTQ “normal” in middle grade books. I want a story about the two of them, haha.
It was a bit slow in some parts and sometimes repetitive, with no big high stakes in the climax, and I wasn’t overly invested in the characters but it was really really cute and a nice escape when things in my life have been terrible recently.
It deserves more reads and more reviews!
I genuinely think my favourite part of this book was Abby’s dad and his boyfriend Tamal. It was so sweet and understated and not a big deal at all to the story, but a wonderful addition to making LGBTQ “normal” in middle grade books. I want a story about the two of them, haha.
It was a bit slow in some parts and sometimes repetitive, with no big high stakes in the climax, and I wasn’t overly invested in the characters but it was really really cute and a nice escape when things in my life have been terrible recently.
It deserves more reads and more reviews!
December 29, 2017
Absolutely adorable! Halfway through this book, I had to pause my reading... to build my own pillow fort! The rest of the book was devoured from inside Fort Book Nook. :-)
The characters--and their internal conflicts--are so very relatable and universal. The emotion in which author Will Taylor tackles friendship struggles is achingly honest and brings me back to those painful tween times. The world building of the pillow fort network was incredibly elaborate and fun. Taylor writes with both humor and heart.
The ending sets up a sequel. Can't wait for Maggie and Abby's next adventure!
Overall: Fun, lighthearted, sweet read that elementary schoolers are sure to love! Be warned: pillow forts WILL be built during the reading of this book.
The characters--and their internal conflicts--are so very relatable and universal. The emotion in which author Will Taylor tackles friendship struggles is achingly honest and brings me back to those painful tween times. The world building of the pillow fort network was incredibly elaborate and fun. Taylor writes with both humor and heart.
The ending sets up a sequel. Can't wait for Maggie and Abby's next adventure!
Overall: Fun, lighthearted, sweet read that elementary schoolers are sure to love! Be warned: pillow forts WILL be built during the reading of this book.
May 14, 2018
I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Maggie has spent her summer alone, since her mother missed the camp cut-off date and just her best friend Abby was able to go. While waiting for her best friend to return, she has created an epic pillow fort. When Abby returns home, Maggie hopes to pick right back up on their imagination adventures, but Abby is obsessed with camp. In attempt to play along, Maggie creates a pillow fort at Abby's house, but something magical happens and Maggie's fort is connected to Abby's. Soon they are pulled into a pillow fort society and building forts across the country.
This is an adventurous novel, which will have readers building pillow forts everywhere.
Maggie has spent her summer alone, since her mother missed the camp cut-off date and just her best friend Abby was able to go. While waiting for her best friend to return, she has created an epic pillow fort. When Abby returns home, Maggie hopes to pick right back up on their imagination adventures, but Abby is obsessed with camp. In attempt to play along, Maggie creates a pillow fort at Abby's house, but something magical happens and Maggie's fort is connected to Abby's. Soon they are pulled into a pillow fort society and building forts across the country.
This is an adventurous novel, which will have readers building pillow forts everywhere.
June 11, 2018
I don't know about you but building forts was something I loved doing as a child and quite honestly still love doing with my own kids (especially when I can fit in them) and this book was the perfect combination of magic and wonder to add to my love for forts! Two best friends who were separated all summer in both distance and experiences come together to discover an entire world of pillow forts. Through their own forts they realize they can enter into other kid's pillow forts. They travel through the pillow forts and meet new friends and have experiences full of danger and excitement. If you have couch cushions and blankets in disarray all over your house you and your child will love this book! This book is the first in the series so watch out for book two coming early summer 2019!
July 13, 2018
This book was so freaking adorable! From the very beginning I loved Maggie's voice. Every time she said "cucumber casserole" or "whale poop" I was cracking up. The world created through the pillow forts was so detailed and fun, I wished I could hop inside of it right now. Teleporting to other places has always been one of my dreams. Last but not least, being Lisa-Franked is probably the funniest kid prank I've ever heard of. I giggled every single time it was mentioned.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio book. The narrator did a fantastic job and all of her voices captured the excitement and the youthfulness of each of the characters.
An excellent middle grade book full of magic and whimsy. Definitely suggest!
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio book. The narrator did a fantastic job and all of her voices captured the excitement and the youthfulness of each of the characters.
An excellent middle grade book full of magic and whimsy. Definitely suggest!
August 23, 2017
If my ten year old self had written a book, this is exactly where my imagination would have gone. Forts were my life, and Will does an amazing job of capturing the simplicity and the magic that surrounds you when you build a fort.
You follow Maggie and Abby's friendship as Abby returns home from summer camp "different" to Maggie. Maggie, in a panic to try and remain their "before middle school selves" works to keep up their adventures with her creative imagination. Only this time, the craziest story Abby thinks she's ever came up with, isn't exactly a story....
This was such a fun, feel good, light read, that will have students wanting to build forts for years!
You follow Maggie and Abby's friendship as Abby returns home from summer camp "different" to Maggie. Maggie, in a panic to try and remain their "before middle school selves" works to keep up their adventures with her creative imagination. Only this time, the craziest story Abby thinks she's ever came up with, isn't exactly a story....
This was such a fun, feel good, light read, that will have students wanting to build forts for years!
December 26, 2025
Impulse grab from the library. Exceeded hopes. Much more interesting than the fluffy color (esp. w/ the Council and the consequences) but still fun, funny, and a page-turner. Normally I don't like action-packed page-turner adventures but I didn't mind missing sleep for this because I loved the characters, too. I love that there are so many interesting details but almost nothing is laid out for us, rather, it's just revealed (showing not telling) and there's not a whole lot of introspection (unlike a lot of MG stories).
February 26, 2018
Books like this remind me that I should read books geared towards younger readers more often. This was a very enjoyable story that lead me to want to learn more about Maggie & Abby's future adventures (I hope there will be some).
I would recommend this for 4th grade readers or higher, but nothing to preclude younger readers from trying it, if they can handle a longer book.
I received the book as an uncorrected proof copy from Goodreads.
I would recommend this for 4th grade readers or higher, but nothing to preclude younger readers from trying it, if they can handle a longer book.
I received the book as an uncorrected proof copy from Goodreads.
June 16, 2019
I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved this book! The plot was charming, characters unique, and themes wonderful. I easily identified with the feelings of the main character. They will help a lot of kids out there go through the awkward growing up period of life. Plus, what’s better than magical pillow forts?!!! Super excited for the sequel!!!
June 30, 2018
This was a book I picked out for my 10-year-old son. He told me it was the best book he’s read “since Harry Potter” so of course I had to read it too. Super-cute, though I do need to add Maggie’s mom to my list of WTF parents in YA literature.
October 28, 2018
I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed MAGGIE AND ABBY'S NEVER ENDING PILLOW FORT. This book is for anyone who's ever wanted to be magically transported to other places. It's original,fun, & has some unexpected intrigue. Excited to get this into readers' hands.🛋
April 7, 2018
Absolutely delightful!
April 13, 2018
A fun read!!
May 1, 2018
Ok, this was adorable. Really really great. Also it's got me craving cinnamon rolls.
May 13, 2018
A fun and imaginative story that takes readers to unexpected places. Will Taylor created a fantastic world here, and just in time to be the perfect summer read for kids — especially 4th-6th graders.
July 16, 2018
Goodreads giveaway
November 8, 2018
Please tell me there's another book!!!
April 24, 2019
This book would have made my 5th-grade self sooooo happy!
April 13, 2020
Delightfully fun and more nuanced than expected.
July 23, 2024
*Read for my Kids Book Club*
Super sweet story about best friends navigating life and the changes of growing up. There are fun adventures and lots of good deeds.
Leaves you on a cliffhanger.
Super sweet story about best friends navigating life and the changes of growing up. There are fun adventures and lots of good deeds.
Leaves you on a cliffhanger.
July 23, 2024
Maggie and Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort: DNF. The book seemed like it couldn't decide what balance to strike between goofy and serious, which left me unsure how to connect with it.
February 6, 2025
One of the best books from my childhood 🫶
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews