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?

Poignant, and full of both growing pains and healing, this sensitive story told in lyrical verse is just right for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Andrea Beatriz Arango.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Holiday House, August 2025

• Booklist Starred Review
• Junior Library Guild Gold Star Selection
• FeedYourAddiciton’s Most Heart Wrenching Book of 2025
• Reading Middle Grade’s 25 Books 12 Year Olds Love
• The Horn Book’s 8 MG/YA Recommended Titles for Family & Resilience
• Poets.org Fall Featured Books for Young Readers
• Literary Hub’s Ten Children’s Books to Read in August
• Reading Middle’s Grade 3 Fantastic August Reads Worth Your Time
• Bookelicious Selection
• Kings County Library System (Washington) New and Interesting Books for Kids
• Saratoga Springs Library (NY) Suggested Reading List Tween Reads
• Gray Public Library (Maine) Staff Recommendation for Children’s & YA
• Linda Francis Sokol Brookfield Library (Illinois) Staff Recomendations
• Bismarck Library (North Dakota) Weekly Highlights of New Books in Children’s Library
• Feed Your Fiction Addiction blog Most Heartfelt 2025 Title
• City of Asylum Bookstore Favorite Middle Grade Reads 2025
• Bookshelf Thomasville Collection For the Real World Drama Readers selection
• Staff Pick for Dyer Library Saco Museum December 2025
• Rochester Hills Library Youth Recommended Reads
• San Jose Public Library Staff Pick: Novels in Verse

“This verse novel is neatly structured, with titled, sequential poems…. striking moments that use gaps of space between words to emphasize feelings….its message that family is still family even if they aren’t perfect will appeal to readers who appreciate honest messiness over tidy endings.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, recommended title

“Thoroughly developed characters and their complex relationships populate this world. . . . Told in verse, this tender story unpacks what it means to be a family while exploring the long-term effects of grief, ultimately offering the hope of healing.”
—Booklist STARRED review

“A thoughtful and vulnerable narrator in this verse novel, Lilac and her journey will resonate with anyone who has feared change and has been forced, whether they felt ready or not, to grapple with its (sometimes surprising) consequences. . . .Accessible verse and a relatable protagonist highlights a winning tale of family, friendship, and change. Highly recommended.”
—School Library Journal

“Lilac is a sympathetic protagonist.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Lilac learns a lot about herself and her role in her family and her friendships in this sweet, enduring tale that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt at least a little bit on the outside.”
—Young Adult Book Central, Five-star Review

“Verse novelist Cordelia Jensen uses accessible, voice-driven poetry to tap into Lilac’s emotions and make her feel like a true friend to readers.”
—Literary Hub

“In this well-paced novel in verse, Jensen creates a sympathetically flawed and vulnerable protagonist. Choices regarding white space, text placement, italics, indenting, and font make transitions and interactions easily distinguishable and heighten the emotional impact. An epilogue brings the school year to an end as everyone gathers for the opening day of the trail the students have cleared, a symbolic and rewarding conclusion.”
—Horn Book

“Beautifully written and lyrically captivating, Lilac and Switchback doesn’t shy away from the challenges of change, the complications of friends, family, and the discovery of the natural world.”
—Chris Baron, Award-Winning Author of The Magical Imperfect

“A truly heartwarming story, Lilac’s journey had me reaching for tissues by the end. Readers will cheer as she discovers a path she doesn’t have to navigate alone.”
—NCTE Notable Verse Novelist and Award-Winning Author Jessica Vitalis

“Lilac’s voice leaps off the page. With evocative poems and relatable characters, this is a beautiful verse novel about family, friendship, and one girl’s deeply moving journey toward figuring out where she fits.”
—Laurie Morrison, author of Keeping Pace and Up for Air

“An insightful portrait of a family on the cusp of change and a girl on a journey of self-discovery. Lilac blazed a trail to my heart!”
—Laura Shovan, co-author of Sydney Taylor Notable book A Place at the Table 

“Beautiful, nuanced, and compelling. Jensen deftly navigates the verse novel form to create a heart-centered story of family, friendship, and belonging. If you’ve ever felt like you’re too much, or out of place, or extra, this book will speak straight to your heart.”
—Melanie Crowder, author of Audacity

“A heartfelt story perfect for 9-12-year-old readers interested in stories about family, friendship, and finding oneself when you feel — especially when you feel — lost.”
—Can We Read? Blog

“In this well-paced novel in verse, Jensen creates a sympathetically flawed and vulnerable protagonist. Choices regarding white space, text placement, italics, indenting, and font make transitions and interactions easily distinguishable and heighten the emotional impact.”
—Horn Book

“Lilac and the Switchback is a moving verse novel about family history, changing friendships, and growing up. I love the realistic and age-appropriate way the author explores the big themes in this story, and I think upper middle grade readers will enjoy it as well. It reminded me a lot of Morrison’s Up for Air, both in terms of Lilac’s character and her stubborn desire to connect with her dad. This is perfect for readers who love the outdoors and compelling, emotional coming-of-age stories.”
—Reading Middle Grade Blog

“The pro­tag­o­nist, along with the oth­er appeal­ing char­ac­ters and the read­er, absorbs lessons about loy­al­ty, friend­ship, self-reliance, car­ing, respect for tra­di­tion, and gen­eros­i­ty. Lilac and the Switch­back will hold the inter­est of read­ers and pro­vide much to dis­cuss and enjoy.”
—Jewish Book Council

“The characters are lovable, especially Lilac’s aunt – Truly – who is caring, warm, and wonderful. Readers will root for Lilac, a relatable and struggling young character. This book compassionately addresses the difficulties of transitional life stages like middle school, while exploring important themes like grief, loneliness, belonging, family, and identity. “
—Youth Services Book Review

“Lilac and the Switchback by Cordelia Jensen is utterly gorgeous andboth heartbreaking and hopeful. This book is everything a verse novel should be!”
—Feed Your Fiction Addiction blog

“This beautifully written novel in verse is a heartwarming must read!”
—Sydney Taylor Shmooze Blog 

“This is a perfect addition to the middle grade genre…heartfelt…relatable and filled with empathy. A story about finding voice, your family and yourself. I absolutely loved it!”
—lyot.brit.andthebookshelf (Brittney Lyon) 

“Lilac and the Switchback would be a wonderful chapter read aloud in a classroom. The verse style is beautiful to read aloud or to oneself!”
—EdTech EASE

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Audio

•  Recorded Books

In this beautifully constructed middle-grade novel, told half in prose and half in verse, Lauren prides herself on being a good sister, and Sierra is used to taking care of her mom. When Lauren’s parents send her brother to a therapeutic boarding school for teens on the autism spectrum and Sierra moves to a foster home in Lauren’s wealthy neighborhood, both girls are lost until they find a deep bond with each other. But when Lauren recruits Sierra to help with a Robin Hood scheme to raise money for autistic kids who don’t have her family’s resources, Sierra has a lot to lose if the plan goes wrong.

Lauren must learn that having good intentions isn’t all that matters when you battle injustice, and Sierra needs to realize that sometimes the person you need to take care of is yourself.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Amulet/Abrams, April 2018

• South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee
• Georgia Book Award Nominee
• Carnegie Library’s Awesome Books for Middle Schoolers
• The Children’s Book List Essential Books for Navigating Middle School

“Thoughtful readers will find a lot to like here—sadness, suspense, even humor. They may even pause to consider their own privilege.”
-School Library Journal

“Each character is well defined . . . Readers will hope for a better life for both girls. This middle grade novel will find a ready audience in most libraries.”
-VOYA Magazine

“Sierra’s narrative, in poetry, captures her spare, cautious, and constrained life. Lauren’s prose is rich and descriptive, much like her own experiences. Together, the contrasting narratives tell a touching story about friendship, loyalty, and resilience that will have lots of appeal.”
-Booklist

“Two authors combine their efforts to relate the intertwined tales of a pair of young teens in trouble… Many of the complications of human behavior are on display here, some of them painful to navigate.”
―Kirkus Reviews

“Like a kaleidoscope, Lauren and Sierra’s shifting perspectives will make you look at the world from different angles, transforming in unique and beautiful ways. This story shines.”
―Lisa Graff, author of Lost in The Sun

“This should hit the mark for middle grade readers who enjoy life’s complexities paired with the intrigue of secrecy.”
―Erin E. Moulton, author of Flutter

“An inventive and emotional story about family and friendship.”
―Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Honor winner for Hello, Universe

A powerful novel in verse about fitting in, standing out, defining your own self-worth, and what it takes to keep a fracturing family whole.

Virtual twins Linc and Holly were once extremely close. But while artistic, creative Linc is her parents’ daughter biologically, it’s smart, popular Holly, adopted from Ghana as a baby, who exemplifies the family’s high-achieving model of academic success.

Linc is desperate to pursue photography, to find a place of belonging, and for her family to accept her for who she is, despite her surgeon mother’s constant disapproval and her growing distance from Holly. So when she comes up with a plan to use her photography interests and skills to do better in school–via a project based on Seneca Village, a long-gone village in the space that now holds Central Park, where all inhabitants, regardless of race, lived together harmoniously–Linc is excited and determined to prove that her differences are assets, that she has what it takes to make her mother proud. But when a long-buried family secret comes to light, Linc must decide whether her mother’s love is worth obtaining.

A novel in verse that challenges the way we think about family and belonging.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Philomel/PRH, March 2018

• Paste Magazine’s 10 of the Best Young Adult Books
• B&N Teen Blog 8 Must Read YAs in Verse
• B&N Teen Blog 14 of Our Most Anticipated Sophomore Novels 
• Teen Library Toolbox New and Forthcoming YA to Know About
• Referenced in Inside the Verse Novel: Writers on Writing by Linda Weste

“I fell into Linc’s world and found myself changed by her journey. Readers will fall in love with her and her struggles.”
-Dhonielle Clayton, author of the Tiny Pretty Things series and The Belles

“Achingly beautiful, honest and visceral. This is a must read for anyone who has questioned whether they belong.”
-Meg Wiviott, author of Paper Hearts

“Linc’s struggle to chart her own future, unfolding in graceful verse, makes a compelling read.”
-Kirkus Reviews

“Give this book to any students who have ever felt invisible or who have ever struggled to feel at home in a traditional academic setting.”
-School Library Journal

“Rich with imagery that embodies longing and heart, a girl’s desire to recapture what was, and her joy over discovering her own kind of success.”
-Booklist

“The book tugs at the heartstrings by focusing on family dynamics and expectations that are universal experiences.”
-School Library Connection

“The meshing of word choice and space integrates the protagonist’s inner struggles with her undeniable talent as a budding photographer.”
-Voice of Youth Advocates

A heartrending, bold novel in verse about family, identity, and forgiveness

Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world–and everything she thought she knew about her family–is shattered instantly. Unable to comprehend the lies, betrayal, and secrets that–unbeknownst to Mira–have come to define and keep intact her family’s existence, Mira distances herself from her sister and closest friends as a means of coping. But her father’s sexual orientation isn’t all he’s kept hidden. A shocking health scare brings to light his battle with HIV. As Mira struggles to make sense of the many fractures in her family’s fabric and redefine her wavering sense of self, she must find a way to reconnect with her dad–while there is still time.

Told in raw, exposed free verse, Skyscraping reminds us that there is no one way to be a family.

PUBLISHER AND ACCOLADES

Philomel/PRH, June 2015

• Booklist Starred Review
• School Library Connection Starred Review
• 2016 NCTE Children’s Notable Verse Novel
• Booklist Top 10 LGBTQ Book for Youth title
• YALSA 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults title
• Booklist Essential LGBTQIA Book for Youth
• Los Angeles Public Library’s Best Book for Teens
• Bustle’s 15 of June’s 2015 Best YA Books
• PopCrush’s 10 Best New YA Books that Explore Sexuality
• PopSugar’s 24 Books in June That Just Might Charm Your Pants Off
• Paste Magazine’s 13 of the Best New YA Books in June
• Hypable’s 15 Books to Read in 2015
• PopSugar’s Best Books of 2015
• A Mighty Girl: A Year in Review
• Paperbackly’s Best 2015 Books with LGBTQ Characters
• Referenced in Inside the Verse Novel: Writers on Writing by Linda Weste

“Exquisite free-verse poems…illuminating and deeply felt.”
—Booklist (Starred)

“[An] exquisite coming-of-age novel in verse.”
—School Library Connection (Starred)

“This book should be popular with fans of Sarah Dessen and would be a worthy addition to most high school library collections.”
—VOYA

“Jensen’s spare free-verse poems and accessible imagery realistically portray the fraught moments of adolescent identity formation with great empathy. Compelling snapshots of contemporary family drama and the AIDS epidemic as captured through a teen’s eyes.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Written in straightforward, accessible free verse tinged with celestial metaphors, this story–set in a well-rendered 1993 NYC–is sincere, touching, and heartwrenching.”
—Horn Book

“It left me speechless. Skyscraping is like a regular book with wings.”
—Becky Albertalli, author of National Book Award finalist Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

“In gorgeous poetic verse, Jensen captures the raw emotions and hard truths of a family dealing with forgiveness and love…. Your heart will soar and break and heal anew.”
—An Na, author of Printz Award winner and National Book Award finalist A Step from Heaven

” Skyscraping is brilliant, sharp and bright. A stellar story. Jensen has written a powerful tale about love and loss, a story that will stick with readers long after they’ve reached the end. Her poetry is vivid, tangible, and visceral. She’s a rising star with a breathtaking debut. This is a novel made of star stuff.”
—Skila Brown, author of Caminar

SUBSIDIARY RIGHTS

Foreign

• Turkish: Yabanci Yayinlan