Children of Owl by Darcie Little Badger brings together family secrets, unsettling mysteries, and three Lipan Apache cousins whose everyday lives overlap with the supernatural.
With three starred reviews and full-color comics illustrated by Abigail Rajunov, this YA fantasy offers plenty to catch students’ attention.
Children of Owl has been added to my October 2026 – New Release Spotlight list on Amazon.
Author: Darcie Little Badger
Illustrator: Abigail Rajunov
Genre: fantasy, supernatural, mystery
Setting: mobile home park in fictional Mockingtown, Texas, USA
Themes: grief, family, identity, Indigenous storytelling, belonging, justice, wrongful convictions, ghosts, supernatural creatures, resilience, friendship, mixed media, living in a trailer park, cousins
Protagonist: three teen cousins, all Lipan Apache
Recommended for: Grades 7–12
Starred reviews: Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and SLJ
Publication date: October 6, 2026
WHAT IS CHILDREN OF OWL ABOUT?
Sixteen-year-old Maisie is still grieving her best friend when a winged boy named Owl warns her that tragedy is approaching. He cannot offer many details, but Maisie is determined to protect the people she loves.
Meanwhile, her cousins have their own complications. Verona takes a house-sitting job at a supposedly haunted horse ranch, and Joel spends his summer fostering kittens, including a feline with some unusual abilities.
Their extended family’s mobile home community holds mysteries involving a wrongful conviction, a missing time capsule, and a ghost seeking justice. As these threads intersect, the cousins must confront both supernatural dangers and painful family history.
GHOSTS, FAMILY SECRETS, AND STORIES TOLD THREE WAYS
Consider this one for middle and high school displays featuring Indigenous authors, supernatural mysteries, or stories about family and belonging. The reviews describe an atmospheric, reflective reading experience, making it a promising match for students who enjoy eerie stories with strong relationships and emotional depth.
The mixed media combination of narration, personal entries, and comic pages also offers a useful discussion starter: What does each format reveal that another might leave out?
LOVED MIXED MEDIA? TRY:
