Taylor is sure she will die of shame when Don and Glenda enter a talent quest for parents at her school. Not one to back away from a challenge, Taylor drags Hector along on a crusade to prove via DNA analysis that Don and Glenda are in fact not her parents, and therefore cannot enter the talent quest.
Hector secretly nominates Taylor for School Captain, unwittingly igniting her passion for politics. It seems to be a two-horse race as Taylor goes up against the perfect, beautiful and seemingly unbeatable Brittany Flune. Taylor finds herself determined to win, all the while trying to ignore her father's petty annual 'Christmas Lights' rivalry with Brittany's father.
Taylor is embarrassed when she's sprung fantasising about becoming a pro-surfer, and covers by claiming she can surf. But when heart-throb Leon invites her to enter a surfing competition, Taylor feels she has no choice but to enter. The situation snowballs as Taylor is forced to learn how to surf within a few short days - on her dad's massive Malibu surfboard!
Taylor is struck dumb when she arrives home from school with her friends to find her mother creating a nude sculpture of herself. To make matters worse, her class will attend the public unveiling at Sculpture by the Beach but Taylor's effort to upstage the reveal makes a bigger splash than she intended
Taylor is inspired by the teachings of a Buddhist monk, who shares the concept of a simple life without possessions. She decides to live a serene and noble life, and starts by sacrificing all her material possessions in pursuit of true happiness. However, she quickly finds out that this is not as easy as it sounds, as her earthly desires get in the way.
When Taylor develops a crush on a teenage martial arts instructor, she signs up for classes just to see him. Taylor also avoids her parents from the fear of getting "The Talk".
Taylor becomes image conscious and starts to worry about her appearance, so she adapts to a new sense of style, but Hector isn't very happy with Taylor's new attitude after he agrees to put up the School Flag.
After witnessing Leon's soccer skill, and watching him play, Taylor is inspired to join the School Soccer Team.
Taylor and Hector spend time with an eccentric elderly couple who believe they will be abucted by aliens and took into outer space in a mothership.
Taylor wins her school cross-country race. But as she basks in her new-found fame and glory, she fails to confess that Mystic Marj drove her to the finish line. Taylor faces the prospect of moving to Scotland when her father inherits a "grand Scottish estate".
Taylor notices people whispering behind her back, and soon learns that rumours are circulating about her. The discovery gives Taylor a revelation about what it takes to get noticed and sets out to garner the attention she desperately wants.
With a school dance coming up, Taylor starts to query her image and identity. She fears that her refusal to conform to fashion rules will ruin her social life. To improve her life, Taylor decides to change her name.
The last day of primary school arrives and it seems that Taylor's circle of friends is being ripped apart, as they all face the prospect of heading off to different high schools. Taylor is torn as she is forced to make some serious decisions about her future.
It's Taylor's first day in year 7 at her new high school, and she's confident that it will be everything she dreamed it would be. But her enthusiasm quickly dissolves as everything that can go wrong does go wrong. She misses the bus, loses Hector and, when she eventually makes it to school, she smells like rotten fish - thanks to her mother's super home-mix de-stress aromatherapy ointment.
With parent-teacher night looming, Taylor wakes up to find her dad doing biceps curls on the front lawn, surrounded by stack of vinyl records. Layla informs her that his bizarre behaviour is due to a mid-life crisis, and might last anywhere up to three years. Taylor is mortified at the prospect of her father showing up at parent-teacher night, and tries in vain to prevent him from going.
It's work experience time and Taylor is thrilled to be granted a position with the local radio station, working as a DJ. But her hopes fade as she is assigned to Mystic Marj's psychic talk-back segment. Worse, she is forced to get in touch with her own inner psychic when Mystic Marj accidentally locks herself in the toilets, leaving Taylor to deal with a switchboard full of needy callers, going by the pseudonym of "Claire Voyant". However, Taylor receives a Valentine's Day card from a secret admirer (who is actually Hector).
Taylor is less than impressed when her family teams up with heart-throb Leon's family for the school trivia night. Taylor prepares herself for ultimate humiliation as she realises just how "trivial" her parents' knowledge really is.
When Taylor learns that a revealing self-portrait is to be auctioned off for charity, she scrambles to prevent it. But things get even worse when she discovers the painting isn't the only thing that's fallen into a stranger's hands - her diary is missing too.
Taylor is horrified to discover her parents aren't technically married, and tries to convince they need a traditional wedding. Her horror turns to happiness when Don, on bended knee, proposes to Glenda. However this joy turns back to horror as she realises the wedding is going to be anything but traditional.
Taylor discovers that Glenda is going to be teaching "Healing by Humming" at her school, and is devastated. She decides that there's only one logical way to solve her problems and escape her family. With Hector's help, she begins her campaign to become the first child astronaut.
Taylor has to do an assignment on an ancestor or relative, but everyone she can think of is far too embarrassing. When the Fry family receives a visit from their Great Aunt Ally, Taylor thinks the universe is smiling on her at last. However, she quickly realises that Great Aunt Ally is an eccentric, and her hopes are dashed - until the kooky old woman teaches her a valuable lesson.
Taylor fears that her parents are getting a divorce. At school camp, Taylor convinces herself that there is something going on between her mother and her teacher, Mr Frankel. She sabotages every activity in an effort to keep them apart, but as one thing leads to another, Taylor finds herself lost in the bush.
All Taylor's friends have mobile phones, and she starts to feel left out. She decides she'll get a job and save for a phone herself. The job of pet-sitting Mystic Marj's cats turns out to be somewhat less simple than she'd anticipated, as the unruly cats take over Taylor's bedroom and run riot.
Don and Glenda leave Layla, Taylor and Hector home alone. But when Layla is dumped by her most recent heart-throb, she starts sobbing uncontrollably. It's a domino effect as the oven catches on fire, Hector's half-built model melts and the TV breaks. Taylor and Hector have to dry Layla's tears and save the day, while maintaining their composure enough to complete their school project.
Taylor learns that Brittany and her family are moving house. As Michael and Loretta vacuum their front lawn in preparation for the sale of their house, Taylor and Brittany hatch a cunning scheme to sabotage the open day and ensure that they can remain next-door neighbours forever.
Taylor thinks all her prayers have been answered when she is allowed to move in with Brittany's family for a few days. But she quickly realises the Flune family is a well-oiled machine, with strict house rules. She shares her dilemma with Beethoven and realises her own family might not be perfect, but they're perfect for her.
