Name: Meet the Author: Cordelia Jensen
Start: 2026-01-24T14:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-24T15:00:00-05:00
Location: Urbana Regional Library

Calling all young poets: this one is for you! Join us for an afternoon with author Cordelia Jensen as she discusses her new middle grade novel Lilac and the Switchback, with fellow author Laura Shovan. This story (written entirely in verse!) follows Lilac, a girl feeling like the “extra” kid in her aunt and uncle’s soon-to-be fuller house; however, after receiving a check from her estranged father, Lilac wonders if it’s worth the risk to find him. Following the conversation, Cordelia will answer questions and sign books. Copies of Lilac and the Switchback will be available for purchase at the event.
About the book: A riveting middle grade novel in verse for any kid who has ever felt unwanted, uncomfortable, or unsure of where they fit in.
Lilac has lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousin ever since her mom died. She already feels like an “extra” member of a family that doesn’t have enough money or space.
Then she finds out her aunt is pregnant with twins, due soon after Lilac turns thirteen. How could they possibly want her around when they’ll have two more kids in their crowded home? As she struggles to process her feelings about the pregnancy, Lilac drifts apart from her best friend Callie, leaving Lilac lonelier than ever.
In a timely twist of fate, Lilac discovers a check sent by her estranged father. Maybe he is the family she’s been looking for... and maybe it’s worth risking everything to find him. After all, how much does the “extra” kid really have to lose?
About the author: Cordelia Jensen has an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has published four verse novels: Lilac and the Switchback, Skyscraping, The Way the Light Bends, and Every Shiny Thing, co-authored with Laurie Morrison. Her books have received starred reviews, state award list nominations, and NCTE Notable Verse Novel recognition. Along with being a certified book coach, Cordelia has taught creative writing in a variety of settings, including Bryn Mawr College, Germantown Friends School, The Writing Barn and The Kelly Yang Project, and currently teaches verse novel classes for The Highlights Foundation.
About the moderator: Laura Shovan is a novelist, educator, and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. Her award-winning children’s books include The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, Takedown, and the Sydney Taylor Notable A Place at the Table, written with Saadia Faruqi. She is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council and teaches for Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her latest poetry collection for kids is Welcome to Monsterville.