The Graveyard Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. 2008. Read by Neil Gaiman. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN-10: 0061551899 ISBN-13: 978-0061551895

PLOT SUMMARY
Nobody Owens (Bod) is a normal boy, who happens to live in a graveyard and is being raised by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, ghosts, who were childless and dead for 250 years. Bod’s family was killed by a man Jack, who continues to look for him. The ghosts grant him the “Freedom of the Graveyard” (a special charm that gives Bod sanctuary within the graveyard’s boundaries). Silas, who may be a vampire, agrees to be his guardian, provides what he needs and his education was provided by an array of instructors including a werewolf. Although safe in the graveyard, dangers exist with witches, an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to a desert inhabited by ghouls, the Sleer, and the man Jack.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman is a true master of mystery. Not only is he an accomplished writer, but an entertaining performer. I listened to the unabridged audio book and was swept away with his narration of the story, the gypsy music at the beginning of each CD, which set the tone for the graveyard, the English environment, the language of the time and the descriptions of the characters. Listening to the story allows the audience to use their imagination and create their own pictures of the graveyard and its inhabitants. The first sentence, “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”, should have you hooked into wanting more. This is a story of good versus evil.

The story is fiction, but reads with an element of truth. Neil Gaiman has taken an odd setting of a graveyard and turned it into a place of mysteries to explore, compassion, friendships, home, education, and love. Bod is loved and cared for by usual inhabitants, dead and alive, grows into a confident and educated young man who craves contact with the living. The story begins with evil and this battle is still underlying to the climatic ending.

The Graveyard Book is a must have in book and audio book for any library. What more could you ask for than mystery, intrigue, love, humor, ghosts and surviving evil!

The opening music is Danse Macabre played on the banjo by Béla Fleck. This music really set the tone for mystery and excitement.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.—Megan Honig, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine
Neil Gaiman's fantasies have entranced both younger readers and adults; this gothic fantasy, a coming-of-age story modeled after The Jungle Book and with slight nods to Harry Potter, will appeal to all ages. By juxtaposing the world of the dead with the world of the living, Gaiman creates a fantastical world where the thoughtful protagonist comes to understand the power of family as he experiences the fear, pains, confusions, and joys of growing up. Critics praised each illustrated chapter as its own little gem, with moments both tender and terrifying—and each equally exciting. The Graveyard Book is sure to become a book to last the ages.
Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owenses will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Grades 6-10. --Holly Koelling --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

CONNECTIONS
Neil Gaiman
http://www.mousecircus.com
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
Béla Fleck
http://www.belafleck.com/

AWARDS/HONORS
Booktrust Teenage Prize, 2009 Winner United Kingdom Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2009 Honor Book Fiction and Poetry United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2008 Honorable Mention Best Novel for Young Readers That Adults Would Love If They Knew About It United States
Cybils, 2008 Winner Fantasy and Science Fiction (Middle Grade) United States
Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, 2009 Winner United States
Indies Choice Book Award, 2009 Winner Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book United States
John Newbery Medal, 2009 Winner United States
Locus Award, 2009 Winner Young Adult Book United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2008 Finalist Young Adult Literature United States
School Library Journal Battle of the (Kids') Books, 2009 Nominee United States