A Phase 2 Study of Veliparib (ABT-888) and Local Irradiation, Followed by Maintenance Veliparib and Temozolomide, in Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-Grade Glioma (HGG) Without H3 K27M or BRAFV600 Mutations

• Stratum 1 (IDH wild-type): Patients must be \>= 3 years of age and =\< 21 years of age at the time of enrollment

‣ Please note Stratum 1 was closed to accrual on January 24, 2020

• Stratum 2 (IDH mutant): Patients must be \>= 3 years of age and =\< 25 years of age at the time of enrollment

• Patients must have eligibility confirmed by rapid central pathology and central molecular screening reviews performed on APEC14B1:

‣ Newly-diagnosed high-grade glioma such as anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma

⁃ Negative results for H3 K27M by immunohistochemistry (IHC)

⁃ Negative results for BRAFV600 mutation by next-generation sequencing (NGS)

• Patients must have histological verification of diagnosis. Patients with M+ disease (defined as evidence of neuraxis dissemination) are not eligible. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology is not required but may be obtained if clinically indicated prior to study enrollment. If cytology is positive, the patient would be considered to have metastatic disease and would, therefore, be ineligible

• Pre-operative and post-operative brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without contrast must be obtained. The requirement for a post-operative MRI is waived for patients who undergo biopsy only. A spine MRI is not required, but may be obtained if clinically indicated. If the spine MRI is positive, the patient would be considered to have M+ disease (defined as neuraxis dissemination) and would be ineligible

• Patients must have a performance status corresponding to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0, 1, or 2. Use Karnofsky for patients \> 16 years of age and Lansky for patients =\< 16 years of age

• Peripheral absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,000/uL (within 7 days prior to enrollment)

• Platelet count \>= 100,000/uL (transfusion independent) (within 7 days prior to enrollment)

• Hemoglobin \>= 8.0 gm/dL (can be transfused) (within 7 days prior to enrollment)

• Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \>= 70 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 OR a serum creatinine based on age/gender as follows (within 7 days prior to enrollment):

‣ 3 to \< 6 years: 0.8 (male and female) maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL)

⁃ 13 to \< 16 years: 1.5 (male), 1.4 (female) maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL)

⁃ \>= 16 years: 1.7 (male), 1.4 (female) maximum serum creatinine (mg/dL)

• Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) for age (within 7 days prior to enrollment)

• Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) (alanine aminotransferase \[ALT\]) =\< 135 U/L. For the purpose of this study, the ULN for SGPT is 45 U/L

• Patients with seizure disorder may be enrolled if seizures are well-controlled (i.e., patients must not have required rescue medications for uncontrolled seizures within 14 days prior to enrollment)

• Patients must be enrolled and protocol therapy must be projected to begin no later than 31 days after definitive surgery (Day 0). If a biopsy only was performed, the biopsy date will be considered the date of definitive surgery. For patients who have a biopsy or incomplete resection at diagnosis followed by additional surgery, the date of the last resection will be considered the date of definitive surgery

• All patients and/or their parents or legal guardians must sign a written informed consent

• All institutional, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI) requirements for human studies must be met