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) Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (2026)
Author	Seanan McGuire
Cover artist	Rovina Cai
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Tor.com
Published	2016-Present
No. of books	10
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.
• Nadezhda "Nadya" Sokolov: the protagonist of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear and a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky. She lived in Belyyreka, a water world. 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 Through Gates of Garnet and Gold, as well as 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) ^[1]
11. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (expected 2026)

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), ^[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

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

External links

• Wayward Children - Author Site