Undoubtedly odd children's book by British fantasy writer Alan Garner. Involves three children living in a Welsh valley, subconsciously re-enacting a Welsh sort of fertility myth. The most impressive moments occur when the girl becomes obsessed with a set of dinner plates which have a strange design around the borders. When this is traced around, the resulting sketch can be cut and folded into an owl (hence Owl Service). The paper owls, though, become restless, and at the climax of the book fly off - leaving the plates blank. Excellent stuff.