The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, Neil & McKean, David (Illustrator). The Graveyard Book. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-053093-8

Plot

A strange man named Jack slips into a family's home. He kills mother, father, and sister. The baby brother of the family manages to slip away and out the door. He toddles confidently to a cemetery at the top of a hill where he is met by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, resident ghosts. Mr. and Mrs. Owens hear the ghost of the baby's mother beg them to protect the baby from the murderer. The ghost couple becomes the child's parents and other residents of the cemetery are his friends. He is named Nobody Owens, Bod for short, and is given the Freedom of the Graveyard. Bod can see and talk with the dead, he can Fade from and bring Fear to the living. His protectors are Silas, possibly a vampire, and Miss Lupescu, a werewolf. Few people visit the cemetery, but one day Bod briefly plays with a little girl named Scarlett. He is abducted by and rescued from ghouls. He tries to attend and fit in at school with disastrous results. Scarlett returns many years later to find a man named Mr. Frost making rubbings of headstones in the graveyard. He befriends her and the mystery of the murdered family and Bod's presence in the cemetery begins to unfold.

Critical Evaluation

The story is chilling, but it is told in a way that is accessible to young readers. The murder of Bod's family happens before the story begins. The cemetery is inhabited by ghosts and the supernatural, but for Bod it is home. His friends and protectors are there. The cemetery is his playground, and he is content. The contrast between the living and the dead, light and dark, and horror and humor make the story readable to the very end.

Annotations

Nobody Owens grows up in the graveyard on the hill next to the house in which his family was murdered. He is sheltered and protected by ghosts and others, but ultimately he must use his own powers to destroy the Jacks of All Trades.

Author

Neil Gaiman writes for adults and children. He was inspired to write The Graveyard Book after watching his son ride his tricycle in a cemetery.

Genre

Fiction – supernatural

Curriculum Ties

Language Arts – mystery and supernatural genres

Booktalk Ideas

Invite listeners to consider the amazing illustrations which open the book. Read the first few pages then ask listeners to write, draw, or say what they think will happen next.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 (age 9) and up.

Challenge Issues and Defense

Murder, supernatural elements, and frightening storylines appear throughout the story.

This book won the 2009 Newbery Medal and the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Why is it here?

Reading was assigned for class. Too memorable a story to leave out!