Wayward Children

Last updated

Wayward Children

Author Seanan McGuire
Cover artist Rovina Cai
Country United States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy
Publisher Tor.com
Published2016-Present
No. of books10
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.

Contents

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

Main characters

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) [1]
  11. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (expected 2026)

Short stories

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), [2] Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017), [3] Come Tumbling Down (2020), [4] and Lost in the Moment and Found (2023). [5] The American Library Association selected Every Heart a Doorway for their 2017 Rainbow Book List. [6]

In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books. [7]

Awards for the Wayward Children series
YearWorkAwardResultRef
2016Every Heart a Doorway Goodreads Choice Award for FantasyNominated [8]
Nebula Award for Best Novella Won [9] [10] [11]
Tiptree Award Honor [12]
2017 Alex Awards Won [13] [14] [15]
British Fantasy Award for Best NovellaNominated [16]
Hugo Award for Best NovellaWon [17] [18] [19] [20]
Locus Award for Best Novella Won [21]
World Fantasy Award for Novella Nominated [22]
2018Beneath the Sugar SkyGoodreads Choice Award for FantasyNominated [23]
Down Among the Sticks and BonesAlex AwardsWon [24] [25]
Hugo Award for Best NovellaNominated [26] [27]
Locus Award for Best NovellaNominated [28]
RUSA Award for FantasyWon [29]
Every Heart a Doorway Geffen Award for Best Translated Fantasy BookNominated [30]
2019Beneath the Sugar SkyBooktubeSFF Award for Short WorkNominated [31]
Hugo Award for Best NovellaNominated [32] [33]
World Fantasy Award for NovellaNominated [34] [35]
2020In an Absent DreamHugo Award for Best NovellaNominated [36] [37]
World Fantasy Award for NovellaNominated [38]
2021Come Tumbling DownHugo Award for Best NovellaNominated [39] [40]
Locus Award for Best NovellaNominated [41]
2022Across the Green Grass FieldsHugo Award for Best NovellaNominated [42] [43] [44]
Wayward ChildrenHugo Award for Best SeriesWon [42] [43]
2023“In Mercy, Rain" Locus Award for Best Novelette Nominated [45]
Where the Drowned Girls GoHugo Award for Best NovellaWon [46] [47]

Film adaptation

In July 2021, Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the Wayward Children series. [48]

Book ban

In 2023, Every Heart a Doorway was banned in Clay County District Schools, Florida [49] [50] and removed from school libraries in Duval County Public Schools, with pending review for upcoming school years. [51]

References

  1. "Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire". Publishers Weekly . October 30, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  2. "2016 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online . January 31, 2017. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  3. "2017 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online . February 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  4. "2020 Locus Recommended Reading List". Locus Online . February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  5. "2023 Recommended Reading List". Locus Online . February 1, 2024. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  6. "Every Heart a Doorway | Awards & Grants". American Library Association . Archived from the original on July 28, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. Vnuk, Rebecca (August 2017). "Top 10 SF/Fantasy: 2017". Booklist . Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  8. "Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children, #1)". Goodreads . Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  9. "Nebula Award Recipients Announced". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. May 20, 2017. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  10. "Awards: Nebulas; Chautauqua; Anthonys". Shelf Awareness . May 24, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  11. "2016 Nebula Awards Winners". Locus Online . May 21, 2017. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  12. "McLemore Wins 2016 Tiptree Award". Locus Online . March 14, 2017. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  13. "Alex Awards 2017". American Library Association . February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  14. "2017 ALA Awards". Locus Online . January 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  15. Duckett, Katharine (January 23, 2017). "Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway Wins the Alex Award!". Tor.com . Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  16. "2017 British Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online . October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  17. "2017 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. December 31, 2016. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  18. "Awards: Hugo Winners; Ned Kelly Shortlists". Shelf Awareness . August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  19. "2017 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. December 31, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  20. "2017 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online . August 11, 2017. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  21. "2017 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 24, 2017. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  22. "2017 World Fantasy Award Finalists". Locus Online . July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  23. "Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children, #3)". Goodreads . Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  24. "Alex Awards 2018". American Library Association . February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  25. "2018 ALA Awards". Locus Online . February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  26. "2018 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. March 15, 2018. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  27. "2018 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online . August 20, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  28. "2018 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online . June 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  29. "RUSA 2018 Selections". Locus Online . February 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  30. "2018 Geffen Awards Winners". Locus Online . October 1, 2018. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  31. "BooktubeSFF Awards Winners". Locus Online . July 17, 2019. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  32. "2019 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. July 28, 2019. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  33. "2019 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online . August 19, 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  34. "World Fantasy Awards 2019 | World Fantasy Convention". Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  35. "2019 World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online . November 3, 2019. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  36. "2020 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. April 7, 2020. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  37. "2020 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Awards Winners". Locus Online . August 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  38. "World Fantasy Awards Winners". Locus Online . November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  39. "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. January 1, 2021. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  40. "2021 Hugo, Astounding, and Lodestar Awards Winners". Locus Online . December 19, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  41. "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online . June 26, 2021. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  42. 1 2 "2022 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. April 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  43. 1 2 "2022 Hugo, Astounding, and Lodestar Awards Winners". Locus Online . September 5, 2022. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  44. Schaub, Michael (April 7, 2022). "Finalists for 2022 Hugo Awards Are Revealed". Kirkus Reviews . Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  45. "2023 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online . June 25, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  46. "Hugo, Lodestone, Astounding Award Winners Announced". Book Riot. October 23, 2023. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  47. "2023 Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding Voting". Locus Online . February 11, 2024. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  48. Kroll, Justin (July 29, 2021). "Paramount Pictures Lands Rights To Bestselling Book Series "Wayward Children"". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  49. Bridges, C. A. (November 15, 2024). "Hundreds of books pulled from Florida schools listed in new DOE release. Here are the titles". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  50. Coble, Don (August 3, 2023). "School District pulls 22 books from library shelves". Clay Today. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  51. DeLuca, Alex; Finkel, Tom (August 23, 2024). "Updated List: Every Known Florida School District Book Ban, July 2021–June 2024". Miami New Times. Retrieved July 3, 2025.