The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060530928

This book has one of the most interesting and creative concepts I've seen in a long time: a living boy who is raised in a graveyard by the spirits of the dead. The story opens with the murder of the toddler's family ("There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.") and the toddler's escape to the graveyard up the hill, where he is adopted by a long-deceased couple. With mysterious guardians and other-world adventures, Bod's (short for Nobody) childhood unfolds itself in a tale that is both exciting and charming. As Bod makes friends among the living and the dead, he learns that the man who murdered his parents is still looking for him. Bod is determined to bring his parents' killer to justice. But can he do that without joining his graveyard family as truly dead? This creative story works so well because of its firm footing in classic literature (loosely parallel with The Jungle Book) and also because of the gentle humor of the story ("It takes a graveyard to raise a child," note the graveyard inhabitants when they first discover Bod.) In the world of the living Bod deals with typical teen concerns like bullying, but in the graveyard his own safety is the supreme concern. The characters (especially the graveyard characters) are extraordinarily engaging--from Bod's temporary guardian who turns out to be a werewolf, to the witch buried outside the consecrated ground who has her own emotional issues to work out. My only complaint was that the ending seemed unsatisfactory for such a delightful book: I am hungering for a sequel!

AWARDS & REVIEWS:

Newbery Award Winner, 2009

Hugo Award Winner, 2009

"The Graveyard Book, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form…The story's language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand…In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment." --The New York Times

"Gaiman, famous for his creepy and often scary tales, Coraline and The Wolves in the Wall, has created in his new novel something that is neither creepy nor scary, despite its chilling first chapter and spectral cast of characters. This is a story about the power of family—whatever form it takes—and the potential of a child who is raised with love and a sense of duty." --Children's Literature

CONNECTIONS:

This book would make an excellent bridge into Rudyard Kipling's classic The Jungle Book, and would allow for a compare/contrast between the main characters, the plot events, etc.

Gaiman's other books include: The Wolves in the Wall, and Coraline for those who enjoyed this novel.

For older readers, this could be paired with a book like Spoon River Anthology, which are poems of headstones and epitaphs of one town's deceased.