The Graveyard Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, N. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060530944.

PLOT SUMMARY
When the notorious killer, Jack, claims his latest victims, he accidentally allows their infant son to escape… straight into the nearest graveyard. There, he is adopted by the ghostly Owens family, and raised by supernatural residents of the cemetery. Dubbed Nobody by his new parents, because “he looks like nobody but himself,” the boy is taught everything there is to know about being a specter by his new clan. But when life outside comes knocking in the form of a young girl named Scarlett, Nobody “Bod” Owens is drawn back into the world of the living, where he must confront his past and his family’s killer—a killer who, incidentally, is still looking for the boy who got away!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is Gaiman’s Newbery Award-winning follow-up to the critically-acclaimed CORALINE, and readers experienced with the latter can expect more of the same macabre sentimentality and strange-but-endearing characters here. The story of Nobody Owens is told through short stories, taking place at intervals of once every few years. This narrative style allows the reader to follow the complete growth of Bod from infant to adolescent, without ever dragging or seeming overlong. Gaiman’s unique voice manages to convey deeply mature themes such as death, murder, and the supernatural, in a way that is accessible to younger readers without being too much for their parents to stomach. While those familiar with Gaiman’s previous works, such as STARDUST and the aforementioned CORALINE may spot a recurring pattern in the book’s coming-of-age story and offbeat characters, it is a proven formula, and this may be its strongest iteration yet. Additionally, the book deals with themes such as finding personal identity, the search for self, and discovering one’s place in an adoptive family, all of which are positive messages for younger readers who may well be coping with the same issues in their daily lives.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Winner: Newbery Award
BOOKLIST starred review: “There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS starred review: “this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.”

CONNECTIONS
*Bod has an incredibly unorthodox family; this book is an effective lead-in to discussions about diversity in the home.
*Other critically-acclaimed fantasy novels by Gaiman:
Gaiman, Neil. STARDUST. ISBN 0061689246
Gaiman, Neil. CORALINE. ISBN 0380977788
Gaiman, Neil. M IS FOR MAGIC. ISBN 0061186473