# Wayward Children

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

* 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)

## 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), Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017), Come Tumbling Down (2020), and Lost in the Moment and Found (2023). The American Library Association selected Every Heart a Doorway for their 2017 Rainbow Book List.
In 2017, Booklist included Down Among the Sticks and Bones on their list of the year's top ten science fiction and fantasy books.
Awards for the Wayward Children series :
| Year | Work | Award | Result |
| 2016 | Every Heart a Doorway | Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy | Nominated |
| 2016 | Every Heart a Doorway | Nebula Award for Best Novella | Won |
| 2016 | Every Heart a Doorway | Tiptree Award | Honor |
| 2017 | Every Heart a Doorway | Alex Awards | Won |
| 2017 | Every Heart a Doorway | British Fantasy Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2017 | Every Heart a Doorway | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Won |
| 2017 | Every Heart a Doorway | Locus Award for Best Novella | Won |
| 2017 | Every Heart a Doorway | World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated |
| 2018 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy | Nominated |
| 2018 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones | Alex Awards | Won |
| 2018 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2018 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones | Locus Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2018 | Down Among the Sticks and Bones | RUSA Award for Fantasy | Won |
| 2018 | Every Heart a Doorway | Geffen Award for Best Translated Fantasy Book | Nominated |
| 2019 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | BooktubeSFF Award for Short Work | Nominated |
| 2019 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2019 | Beneath the Sugar Sky | World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated |
| 2020 | In an Absent Dream | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2020 | In an Absent Dream | World Fantasy Award for Novella | Nominated |
| 2021 | Come Tumbling Down | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2021 | Come Tumbling Down | Locus Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2022 | Across the Green Grass Fields | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Nominated |
| 2022 | Wayward Children | Hugo Award for Best Series | Won |
| 2023 | “In Mercy, Rain" | Locus Award for Best Novelette | Nominated |
| 2023 | Where the Drowned Girls Go | Hugo Award for Best Novella | Won |

## Film adaptation

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

## Book ban

Every Heart a Doorway was banned in 2023 in Clay County District Schools, Florida.