Wayward Children

Wayward Children

Every Heart a Doorway (2016) Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017) Beneath the Sugar Sky (2018) In an Absent Dream (2019) Come Tumbling Down (2020) Across the Green Grass Fields (2021) Where the Drowned Girls Go (2022) Lost in the Moment and Found (2023) Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (2024) Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (2025)
Author	Seanan McGuire
Cover artist	Rovina Cai
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Tor.com
Published	2016-Present
No. of books	9
Website	seananmcguire.com

Wayward Children is a series of fantasy novellas by American author Seanan McGuire. It takes place at a boarding school for children who have journeyed to magical lands and been forcibly returned to the real world. The volumes alternate between being set at the school versus showing the lives of the children while they were in their alternate worlds.

In 2022, the series won the Hugo Award for Best Series.

Main characters

• Antoinette "Antsy" Ricci: the protagonist of Lost in the Moment and Found and appears in Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. After her father's death, she escapes her step-father's abuse and finds herself in the Shop Where the Lost Things Go. She is described as squirmy, rowdy, and happy.
• Christopher Flores: a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. He lived in the skeleton world of Mariposa before arriving at the Home for Wayward Children. He is of Mexican descent.
• Cora Miller: the protagonist of Where the Drowned Girls Go and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky, Come Tumbling Down, and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. She lived in the Trenches, after which she developed blue hair and sparkling skin. She is short, round, and athletic, and experienced a lot of bullying due to her appearance.
• Eleanor West: the proprietor of Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a boarding school for children who have journeyed to magical lands and been forcibly returned to the real world.
• Kade Bronson/West: related to Eleanor West, Kade helps care for the Home for Wayward Children and is a main character in Every Heart a Doorway, Beneath the Sugar Sky, and Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. He lived in Prism, a world with goblins and fairies, before the world learned he broke the rules, given that it only allows girls to be heroes. Kade is transgender. Kade manages the school's wardrobe and is an accomplished tailor.
• Katherine Lundy: the protagonist of In an Absent Dream and character in Every Heart a Doorway. She lived in the Goblin Market, where everything was traded for Fair Value. After returning to Earth, she ages in reverse.
• Nadya: the protagonist of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky. She lived in Belyyreka. Nadya was born in Russia and adopted by American parents. She was born missing the lower part of her right arm.
• Nancy: the protagonist of Every Heart a Doorway and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky. She lived in and returned to the Halls of the Dead, where she stands as still as a statue.
• Onishi Sumi: the protagonist of Beneath the Sugar Sky and main character in Every Heart a Doorway, and Mislaid in the Parts Half-Known. She lived in Confection, a candy world, in which she was made of gingerbread following her death. Sumi is described as being of Japanese descent and has a daughter, Rini, in the future.
• Jacqueline "Jack" and Jillian "Jill" Wolcott: twin sisters who appear in Every Heart a Doorway, Down Among the Sticks and Bones, and Come Tumbling Down. On the other side of their door is the Moors, a world of vampires and mad scientists; there, Jack trains under Dr. Bleak, and Jill is daughter to the Master. Jack has obsessive–compulsive disorder.
• Regan: the protagonist of Across the Green Grass Fields. She discovers a magical portal to a land filled with centaurs, unicorns, and other equine creatures. Regan is intersex.

Books

1. Every Heart a Doorway (2016)
2. Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017)
3. Beneath the Sugar Sky (2018)
4. In an Absent Dream (2019)
5. Come Tumbling Down (2020)
6. Across the Green Grass Fields (2021)
7. Where the Drowned Girls Go (2022)
8. Lost in the Moment and Found (2023)
9. Mislaid in Parts Half-Known (2024)
10. Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (2025)

Short stories

• "Juice Like Wounds" Tor.com (July 13, 2020)
• "In Mercy, Rain" Tor.com (July 18, 2022)
• "Skeleton Song" Tor.com (October 26, 2022)

Awards and recognition

Locus has regularly included the Wayward Children books in their year-end list of the best novellas of the year, including Every Heart a Doorway (2016),^[1] Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017),^[2] Come Tumbling Down (2020),^[3] and Lost in the Moment and Found (2023).^[4] The American Library Association selected Every Heart a Doorway for their 2017 Rainbow Book List.^[5]

In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books.^[6]

Awards for the Wayward Children series

Year	Work	Award	Result	Ref
2016	Every Heart a Doorway	Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy	Nominated	[7]
		Nebula Award for Best Novella	Won	[8][9][10]
		Tiptree Award	Honor	[11]
2017		Alex Awards	Won	[12][13][14]
		British Fantasy Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[15]
		Hugo Award for Best Novella	Won	[16][17][18][19]
		Locus Award for Best Novella	Won	[20]
		World Fantasy Award for Novella	Nominated	[21]
2018	Beneath the Sugar Sky	Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy	Nominated	[22]
	Down Among the Sticks and Bones	Alex Awards	Won	[23][24]
		Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[25][26]
		Locus Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[27]
		RUSA Award for Fantasy	Won	[28]
	Every Heart a Doorway	Geffen Award for Best Translated Fantasy Book	Nominated	[29]
2019	Beneath the Sugar Sky	BooktubeSFF Award for Short Work	Nominated	[30]
		Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[31][32]
		World Fantasy Award for Novella	Nominated	[33][34]
2020	In an Absent Dream	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[35][36]
		World Fantasy Award for Novella	Nominated	[37]
2021	Come Tumbling Down	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[38][39]
		Locus Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[40]
2022	Across the Green Grass Fields	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Nominated	[41][42][43]
	Wayward Children	Hugo Award for Best Series	Won	[41][42]
2023	“In Mercy, Rain"	Locus Award for Best Novelette	Nominated	[44]
	Where the Drowned Girls Go	Hugo Award for Best Novella	Won	[45][46]

Film adaptation

In July 2021, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the Wayward Children series.^[47]

Book ban

Every Heart a Doorway was banned in 2023 in Clay County District Schools, Florida.^{[48][failed verification][unreliable source?]}

References

1. "2016 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 31 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
2. "2017 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 1 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
3. "2020 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
4. "2023 Recommended Reading List". Locus Online. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
5. "Every Heart a Doorway | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
6. Vnuk, Rebecca (August 2017). "Top 10 SF/Fantasy: 2017". Booklist. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
7. "Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
8. "Nebula Award Recipients Announced". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. 20 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
9. "Awards: Nebulas; Chautauqua; Anthonys". Shelf Awareness. 24 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
10. "2016 Nebula Awards Winners". Locus Online. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
11. "McLemore Wins 2016 Tiptree Award". Locus Online. 14 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
12. "Alex Awards 2017". American Library Association. 13 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
13. "2017 ALA Awards". Locus Online. 23 January 2017. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
14. Duckett, Katharine (23 January 2017). "Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway Wins the Alex Award!". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
15. "2017 British Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
16. "2017 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
17. "Awards: Hugo Winners; Ned Kelly Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
18. "2017 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
19. "2017 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
20. "2017 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
21. "2017 World Fantasy Award Finalists". Locus Online. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
22. "Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
23. "Alex Awards 2018". American Library Association. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
24. "2018 ALA Awards". Locus Online. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
25. "2018 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 15 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
26. "2018 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 20 August 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
27. "2018 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 23 June 2018. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
28. "RUSA 2018 Selections". Locus Online. 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
29. "2018 Geffen Awards Winners". Locus Online. 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
30. "BooktubeSFF Awards Winners". Locus Online. 17 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
31. "2019 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 28 July 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
32. "2019 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
33. "World Fantasy Awards 2019 | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
34. "2019 World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
35. "2020 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
36. "2020 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners". Locus Online. 1 August 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
37. "World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
38. "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
39. "2021 Hugo, Astounding, and Lodestar Awards Winners". Locus Online. 19 December 2021. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
40. "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 26 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
41. "2022 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
42. "2022 Hugo, Astounding, and Lodestar Awards Winners". Locus Online. 5 September 2022. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
43. Schaub, Michael (7 April 2022). "Finalists for 2022 Hugo Awards Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
44. "2023 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 25 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
45. "Hugo, Lodestone, Astounding Award Winners Announced". Book Riot. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
46. "2023 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Voting". Locus Online. 11 February 2024. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
47. Kroll, Justin (29 July 2021). "Paramount Pictures Lands Rights To Bestselling Book Series "Wayward Children"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
48. "District Reconsideration List". Google Docs. Retrieved 28 September 2024.

External references

• Wayward Children - Author Site
• Wayward Children - Macmillan
• Wayward Children - Goodreads
• Juice Like Wounds - Tor.com
• In Mercy, Rain - Tor.com
• Skeleton Song - Tor.com