Children of Owl

by Darcie Little Badger, Abigail Rajunov (Illustrator)

From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Elatsoe and A Snake Falls to Earth comes a tale of three cousins brought together by the world of creatures, ghosts, and murderers that surround their trailer park. Illustrated throughout with full-color comic panels. 

Maisie: hasn't gotten her life back on track since her best friend died. Then she meets Owl, a harbinger of ill tidings and doom, who warns her of an approaching tragedy. 
Joel: A streaming prodigy with questionable decision-making who's been exiled to a summer of kitten fostering the world's weirdest cats. 
Verona: will do anything to leave their trailer park behind, even watch a house she knows is haunted. 
Owl: son of Big Owl, who can't help who he is, or how much he cares about these aforementioned humans. 

Their four stories intertwine with a ghost bent on justice, an adorable feline Animal Person, and a vengeful monster headed straight for them in this singular YA fantasy novel from Newbery Honor-winning Darcie Little Badger. Perfect for readers seeking a haunting, heartfelt exploration of family, grief, and Indigenous identity. 

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YA Contemporary Fantasy / Mystery 
Haunting, heartfelt, and eerily atmospheric 
Found family, supernatural mystery, coming-of-age, multi-generational healing

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Indigenous, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Mystery, Native American

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2026

About the author

Lipan Apache geoscientist, writer, and fan of the weird, haunting, and beautiful.

Reviews

[Ricarda]

I wish more people would read from or even know of Darcie Little Badger, because her books are very dear to me. She's a Lipan Apache writer and she weaves such intriguing contemporary fantasy stories from this heritage. Her debut novel Elatsoe is one of my all-time favorite books and her later works never disappointed me either. Children of Owl is a glimpse into the lives of a group of Lipan Apache teenagers in a small desert town. Maisie is grieving the death of her best friend Mara and is desperately trying to find the time capsule that she buried, Verona is housesitting for a rich white family and their ranch is most definitely cursed, and Joel is trying very hard to make a viral video and become famous but spends the summer with a bunch of shelter cats instead. Everyone is more or less just living their life, but when the shapeshifting owl boy flies down from his mountain and tells Maisie that he senses tragedy approaching, there's this feeling of doom hanging over it all. Maisie is desperate to prevent anything bad from happening to the people of her hometown while she is also always trying to help her friends. There was this strong sense of community and family radiating from these pages and I loved the story for that alone. The author really knows how to capture the core of a relationship within a few chapters or through a single flashback, and it made the characters feel very real to me. Their struggles were presented so well without ever addressing them directly and I could perfectly picture this community that loves you, but also knows everything about you, remembers all your mistakes and has certain prejudices and expectations because of that. The theme of escaping a set path was executed very well in my opinion and the perspective of indigenous characters added such history and depth to it. The different plotlines all had my interest, but I wish that they were balanced more. There's the plot about Owl, about the cats, about the haunted ranch, about a murder a couple of years ago and sometimes the story switched rather unnaturally between all these things or ended them abruptly. The book could have been longer with more explanation in between to flesh everything out completely. But overall I had a great time reading this book. It also comes with full-color comic panels that continue the story visually and plenty of journal entries that make the characters feel more distinct from one another and give the opportunity to really dive into their thoughts. I can imagine that other readers would dislike the switch from 3rd person to 1st person narrative, but I didn't mind. I wouldn't go as far to call this a real mixed media book, especially since the comic pages were few and far between the regular chapters, but the format, too, definitely made this a memorable read for me.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Renee Godding]

4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

"Community would counteract tragedy. At least, that’s what she hoped."

Upon finishing her debut novel Elatsoe back in 2020, I immediately knew that Darcie Little Badger was an author to keep an eye on. Now, 4 standalone novels and a handful of short-stories and collaborations later, I can comfortably consider her an all-time-favourite author. Perhaps even my personal favourite YA/children's author working currently. Children of Owl therefore was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026, and i'm delighted to say that it didn't disappoint.

The story:
We follow Maisie, a Lipan Apache teenager who lives in a small desert town that she knows to be cursed. Haunted houses, shapeshifters, death and violence that seems to follow the young men of her community around and an ever-present sense of impending doom that hasn’t left Maisie’s side since the death of her best friend. This impending doom takes the form of Owl – a winged boy who’s the son of Big Owl: the harbinger spirit of ill tidings and doom. Over the course of a summer, Owl and Maisy – both lonely creatures in their own right – embark on a joined quest to rid the town of its curse. They are assisted by Maisie’s two cousins; Verona – stuck house-sitting a haunted property – and Joel – fostering a cat who isn’t quite a cat…
What follows is a tale of adventure, friendship, community and healing.

What I loved:
Children of Owl shines in exactly the areas that Darcie Little Badger’s previous books did before. She’s a master at creating lovable, memorable characters that stick with you. More specifically, she’s a master of writing communities of characters and their interactions. Friendship and (found-) family are at the core of many of her stories. The warmth and comfort that bring, is a wonderfully balanced contrast against the darker themes that she incorporates in her narratives.
Darcie’s stories have all been deeply rooted in Lipan Apache culture, both modern and traditional. Supernatural- and often even quite whimsical elements of mythology are used to explore the very true horrors of poverty, addiction, injustice and prejudice faced by the native communities. These themes are not easy to approach in a book aimed at young people. A lesser author would allow such a story to become preachy, bleak, or even downright hopeless. Darcie counterbalances them with the perfect amount of whimsy, hope and love.
It’s for that reason that I picked the quote at the start of this review, as it captures the philosophy at the heart of Darcie Little Badger’s work for me. That tragedy and curses are a reality of life, but that friendship will make grief bearable, and community will eventually break the cycle.

What I didn't love:
The single reason that places this book a little below the likes of Elatsoe for me, it it’s chosen format. Specifically, the inclusion of illustrations and graphic novel-panels. Largely, this is a personal preference more so than a reviewer's opinion. I'm not a fan of graphic novels in general, and the specific style of the illustrator (although objectively wonderful) is too cartoony for my personal liking. Had, for example Rovina Cai, who did Elatsoe and Sheine Lende, provided the illustrations; I would've personally been all over that.
Setting my preferences aside, from a reviewer's perspective, I still don't think the graphic novel pages felt fully integrated in the story. They are too sporadic for me to fully call this novel "mixed media", but present enough to significantly impact the reading-experience. I also struggle to see why this story in particular benefited from them. When making a bold stylistic choice like mixed-formating, authors often have a specific reason for it. For example: a visual format might help them convey a message that words simply cannot translate. Other times, there might be a relation to the themes or subject of the story. For example: a protagonist who is an illustrator themselves.
In these cases, graphic novel elements can feel truly connected to the story, rather than a stylistic gimmick. In the case of Children of Owl, I didn't really feel that connection.

I obviously cannot recommend this book (and author) enough. Preorder now, or make your way to the bookstores on October 6th to pick up this gem!

Many thanks to Levine Querido for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Amanda]

The publisher is calling this a "hybrid," with journal entries and twenty-five pages of comics combined with the prose story, but I think they're overselling that: the comics take up less than ten percent of the book and some of the pages are just black with white text. The journal entries are more frequent, but I found the switches between their first person POV and the rest of the book's third person to be jarring.

I did find the story interesting and I liked the characters, but I often felt the book rambled and didn't have a clear focus.

Received via NetGalley.

[Monica (switching platforms)]

Not gonna lie, I had a hard time getting into the first chapters. I think part of it was that I wasn’t expecting the story to be told in third person, but Maisie’s grief felt especially intense from the very beginning. Her desperate search for the last piece of her best friend was emotionally heavy, and it took me a little while to settle into the story.

Once I found my footing, though, I started to see what made this book so special. There isn’t just one voice telling the story: we also get Joel and Verona’s perspectives, which give us a glimpse into their lives, their thoughts about the world around them, their hopes for the future, and what it means to live in their community. At first, the characters seem to be dealing with completely separate problems, but their stories slowly begin to connect in ways that make the whole book feel much more cohesive.

I especially loved the atmosphere: there’s something eerie and unsettling about the world, but it’s balanced by so much warmth, humour, and tenderness.

Maisie’s grief was probably my favourite part of the story. Her journey isn’t simply about solving a supernatural mystery or preventing another tragedy; it’s also about learning how to live with loss and allowing herself to reconnect with the people around her. I really appreciated how much importance the book gives to community and the idea that you don’t always have to deal with difficult things alone.

The characters were another highlight for me. Owl, a character rooted in Lipan Apache folklore, was probably the most unusual and fascinating of the bunch, and I loved watching his friendship with Maisie develop throughout the story. I also enjoyed Joel and Verona’s storylines, especially once I realised how much they contributed to the bigger picture. What I liked most was seeing how these characters, despite dealing with their own struggles, gradually come together and help one another. Their individual stories eventually become part of something much larger, and that sense of connection is one of the things that made the story so heartfelt.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the way the story is told. We don’t only get Maisie’s third-person perspective; we also get first-person diary entries from the other characters, along with occasional illustrations that add a different layer to the reading experience. It can feel a little chaotic at times, especially at the beginning, but I ultimately found the format quite creative. For a YA audience in particular, I think it’s an interesting way of introducing readers to Lipan Apache stories and traditions while also showing them a different culture and perspective through a format that feels accessible and engaging.

What I appreciated most, though, was the way the book manages to deal with heavier themes without becoming overwhelmingly dark. Grief, death, community struggles, and Indigenous identity are all given space, but there is still plenty of hope, humour, and heart.

This wasn’t an instant connection for me, but once I settled into the writing and the story, I really enjoyed the experience. It’s a haunting yet heartfelt story about grief, friendship, family, and finding your way back to the people around you.

Thank you, NetGalley, Levine Querido, and the author for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Nina Berry]

I have nothing but praise for Darcie Little Badger’s new book, Children of Owl. In a deeply empathetic way, it peeks into the lives of an extended Lipan Apache family living in a trailer park in the arid lands of West Texas. At the heart of the story are four cousins—Maisie, Verona, Joel, and Connor; their lives become entangled with ghosts, mysteries, a shapeshifting kitten, and the ominous but caring winged boy named Owl, the son of Big Owl.


Maisie is determined to save her family from "The Tragedy" that Owl senses. Unsure what the tragedy is—just that it’s coming—she learns more about her cousins and their personal trauma, dreams, and anxieties. Throughout the story, Maisie also mourns the loss of her childhood friend, Mara, who passed away years earlier, shortly after Maisie's first encounter with Owl. To find closure, she is searching for Mara's lost time capsule, which is buried somewhere in the desert, armed with a metal detector, a garden shovel, and a hand-drawn map that Mara created with crayons when she was five years old.

In Children of Owl, Darcie combines a traditional style of Lipan storytelling by weaving together small tales as part of one overarching story. And by using diary entries, letters, and beautiful comic illustrations (art by Abigail Rajunov), she engages the reader and makes each character feel real. With Maisie, Darcie creates a strong protagonist who takes control of fate, confronting often frightening circumstances to protect her loved ones. I highly recommend Children of Owl to both young readers and adults; it is a tender story with suspenseful and funny moments, and although it deals with themes of grief, injustice, and ancestral trauma, it’s ultimately uplifting.

[Meme]

I usually don’t hesitate to annotate books, but this is not just a book, it’s a work of art. So I was very careful with my tabbing.

It was my first mixed-media narrative: usual narration mixed with comic pages and various journal entries. I love that format, and even if I don’t usually read young adult, the mysteries and characters kept me going until the end.

This is a story about found family and biological family bound. It’s full of heart and love.

There is a geology aspect that I loved. The mythology is so enticing and i could also read an entire book on Daredevil’s backstory 😍

Some quotes that reflect the ambiance of the book:

« Community would counteract tragedy. At least, that’s what she hoped. »
« The Lipan are miracles. Despite everything, we survive. »

The illustrations are gorgeous ( Abigail Rajunov ) and the writing is really relatable while staying beautiful. 5⭐️

I can’t wait to read everything by Darcie Little Badger. I am a fan of her work since I read Never Whistle at night: an indigenous dark fiction anthology ( btw read it if you haven’t already !)

I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to Darcie Little Badger for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review. And to Levine Querido for sending it to me.

[Lauren Heartsill Dowdle]

It's so hard to find a page-turning YA contemporary fantasy with strong cultural and folklore ties, but Children of Owl delivers on that and more! From the relatable teenage fears, heartaches, and struggles to the fantastical (and often scary) beings, the book kept me hooked, and I finished it within a few days.

But my favorite part of this book was the family and their love for each other. The multimedia aspects of the book took it to another level with the comic book pages and multi-POV diary entries.

Great read that I'd recommend, and I can’t wait to check out more books from this author!

[Manon the Malicious]

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this. I liked how it was a mixed format. I enjoyed switching from letters, to comic strips, to a more usual narration. I also liked the different points of view but I had a little preference for Maisie's. I could really see myself alongside all three points of view though and also, flying with Owl. I just really enjoyed this story and it made me want more and more. It all just worked and it truly worked for me. I truly flew through it and I loved every single second of it.

[Florence Migga]

Interesting story basis, but the teenage protagonist did read as about 12 to me, so that made it all kinda hard to get in all.

[Mimayk Reads]

4.5 ⭐ - I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the mixed-format. It made me want to keep reading! The story was unique and different. I really liked it!

[mika]

i don’t think i’ve ever read a book quite like ‘children of owl’, to be honest.

it is so unique, first and foremost both in terms of format. it mixes regular narration with short ‘tales’, comics pages, and even diary entries, from different povs. that made the story all the more immersive, and i absolutely loved it. (i wish there were more comics pages, though, because the illustrator’s style is so pretty!)

the story was also very refreshing in how each individual arc, though completely unrelated at first, end up crisscrossing and impacting the main plot. i find it a little hard to summarise without giving too much away, but the gist of it is: tragedy is incoming, and characters will try their best to prevent it. at first glance, there is not much going on except the characters’ (vastly different) everyday lives, but each encounters a tiny event that will widely change them. all three of our main protagonists have but one dream: seeing the world outside of sunny park, their small desert town—a microcosm of its own, literally a couple dozens of houses inhabited (almost) only by family. in that way, the main theme of the book is definitely the will to (and possibility of) deviating from what is expected. i have to say, the author handled it so, so well.

another unique aspect is the central part of lipan apache heritage. several supernatural events take place, most notably: a haunted ranch, a cat that is also a human kid, a sort of global curse that seems to hover over sunny park, and a human-owl hybrid that can sense incoming tragedy. as the title implied, the book takes inspiration from the myth of big owl and gives it a child, simply called ‘owl’. he, too, is battling with expectations and openly disobeys his father in making friends with humans. i loved all the characters, but owl was probably my favourite, though his arc is a little more subtle than the others’.

all those elements put together built an ambience unlike any i’ve experienced before. mainly, i would say this was a very wholesome and hopeful read; but when you really think about it, it is so, so sad and dark. not in an overwhelming way; more so, softly gun-wrenching, with a warm bittersweet aftertaste. sometimes, the feeling hit me out of nowhere. it was so great.

[reviewed in exchange for a free e-arc through netgalley]

[Letícia Anadias]

I absolutely adored this one!

Darcie Little Badger has been one of my favourite authors for a while now and she just keeps on delivering.

I loved the way this book was constructed: we have the “normal”, i.e., traditional chapters from Maisie’s POV, illustrated chapters from multiple POVs and journal entries/writings from other characters’ POVs. This made the story seem more dynamic and allowed for better understanding of the side characters.

The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous! The style, the colours and the composition of the scenes suited the story and the characters perfectly.

For the plot: I really love the way Darcie Little Badger takes something “simple” and turns it into a beautifully woven fantasy tale.

In this story, we follow Maisie, her cousins Joel and Verona and Owl, son of Big Owl. We also have flashbacks of Maisie’s best friend, Mara.

A white girl desecrates an ancient burial ground for views while her parents steal the artifacts of said site.

The spirit of the ancestor who was buried there then starts seeking reparations. So, the three indigenous teenagers go on a quest to restore her artifacts and give her peace and in return, their lives are saved from a fire that ravaged the mansion.

At the same time, Joel gains a friend and realises he is trustworthy and can be kind to everyone.

Connor, their cousin who’s been wrongfully jailed is saved by Mara’s treasure.

Owl ends up being free from his father’s influence and can now choose his own destiny, including being friends with Maisie again.

This is a story about respecting one’s ancestors, traditions and legends, but also about the power of unity, community and friendship and how together, we can change destiny and Big Owl.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

[KC]

4.25*

Firstly, I adore Darcie Little Badger's writing and will read anything they write. I wish more people knew about their stories because each one is unique, insightful and absolutely enchanting. A Snake Falls to Earth remains one of my most treasured reads and whilst Children of Owl didn't hit quite the same, it was still an excellent book that I really enjoyed.

The mixed format of the story is an interesting set up and was a good way to set the narrative up and get the perspectives of a lot of different characters. The art was so cute and really matched the writing style and the characters. Little Badger is an expert at weaving impactful emotional stories that paint such a vivid picture of her characters and the story.

All of the characters were great and such a varied cast. Owl and Maisie were wonderful and I loved how their friendship developed throughout the course of the book. Maisie's from losing Mara was palpable and beautifully portrayed, the narrative of Maisie working through her loss and grief was masterfully and beautifully woven into the larger over-arching plot. The tone of the book was deceptively light but handled several very heavy topics and had a big emotional impact. I loved Joel's side plot and it was a great 'addition' to the story (although it ended up being more integral than initially presumed).

This was just a wonderful novel and I really enjoyed it.

[Elia RS]

I have to say that the colours are beautiful. The combination of comic-style pages and explanatory illustrations that complement the text makes this book feel very special. As you keep reading, you find different types of paper, letters, notes, and small drawings. It feels like reading a scrapbook full of memories.

The story focuses on everyday life while mixing mysterious and unsettling elements without becoming scary. Instead, it creates curiosity and makes you want to keep reading. The story also shares different lessons about the obstacles we face throughout life.

The setting, the importance of owls, the mountains, and the sacred elements connected to the Lipan Apache traditions give the story a unique atmosphere and introduce readers to something different. The main idea I took from this book is that something may seem frightening at first, but that does not mean you cannot move forward. It reminds us to keep going and face the challenges that life puts in our way.

[Staci (stacisbookishprobs)]

Huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Another lovely book from Darcie Little Badger! I am definitely gonna grab a physical copy of this! The illustrations were so cute!!

One of my favorites from this author! I’ve loved all their other books and this one was no different. We have our main character Maisie who was so lovely. We follow a time in Maisie’s life and her community. I really loved her community. How everyone in Sunny Park just looked out for each other and loved and helped one another. I love that along the way of this journey for her she really opens herself back up to the people around her after such a tragedy. She deserved to have the people around her to lean on and trust.

I love this authors work and I’m always left feeling so hopeful and grateful to be able to experience these stories. Just something about them really captures me and pulls me in.

[Zhyar]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.

I loved the illustrations and the comic pages in this novel, the multiple ways of telling the story as well was really fascinating, it was like reading a diary. overall the book is very unique in its story & setting, which many readers will appreciate.

my issues with this book is that it was marketed as mostly being a comic book when it's only 10% of the story, which initially it was what got me interested in the book. the story gets boring and becomes a slug to get throw, there is so many unnecessary descriptions that just bored me.

[Rachel]

Darcie Little Badger always delivers. Children of Owl follows main character Maisie during a summer where she tries to prevent a tragedy and simultaneously grieves the previous loss of her best friend. The storytelling is unique, with a blend of narrative styles, and I think that blended storytelling really helped round out the characters. Having the comics and the first person POV journal entries made the characters so concrete since you can actually see them and hear inside all of their heads.

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Darcie Little Badger, and at this point I’ll literally pick up anything she publishes.

[Emily Pencil]

This was such a bizarre book, in the best way possible. I loved the multi media elements of the story, the journal entries with the comics really brought the story to life. This was a fun, weird, fantasy that covered a lot, at some points I think it went a little too long, however I still did very much enjoy my time reading this.

Thank you NetGalley and Levine Querido for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Kat]

*I received an eARC from Netgalley and Levine Querido in exchange for my honest review.*

I have previously enjoyed Darcie Little Badger's books, but somehow this one didn't work for me. I didn't enjoy the art style and the whole thing felt weirdly rushed and much more simplistic than her other work. I didn't really like any of the characters, they didn't seem fully fleshed out. It was very easy reading at least, but somehow I was hoping for much more.

[Tracy D]

A young adult novel with a unique mixing in graphic elements. I read this digitally but image it would be amazing as a physical copy with the comics scattered throughout. They really enhance the experience.

This story is a slightly spooky and fantastical story about a group of Lipan cousins. They each have their own problems they weave together in the story. There is a lot of plot and a great cast of characters.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for ARC.

[Danielle]

Thank you Edelweiss for an advanced copy.

A beautiful blend of humanity, family, and doing hard things for those we love all with scary tension. Mixed media is used to great and adds to the layers of stories within stories.

[Opal E]

I expected a graphic novel, and while there are a few lovely pages dispersed throughout, this is really a beautiful novel for children.
This book smartly addresses some pretty heavy topics with great characters and storytelling.

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Review to come closer to publication date.

[Mariel]

Darcie writes like no one else. This is a magical piece of art.