The Graveyard Book

Bibliography

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780060530921

Summary

Nobody (Bod) Owens is just like any other boy. He must go through the trials and tribulations of growing up and deciding right from wrong. He is very different from most other boys though. He is being raised by the dead in a small town Brittish graveyard. The Graveyard book takes the readers through chapters of Bod's life as a cast of ghoulish characters protect him from the man Jack, who earlier murdered his family, and teach teach Bod the importance of community and family.

Critical Analysis

Nobody Owens is a very relatable character considering he is being raised by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a couple that were not able to have children in life, but are happy to raise Bod in death. He is curious about the world around him which saved his life when he wandered into the graveyard to avoid the man Jack, a man who had murdered the rest of his family. His curiousness could be the death of him now though, as leaving the graveyard ensures that the man Jack will be looking for him now. Young readers are able to relate to Bod as he battles right from wrong while helping a young witch and standing up to the bullies at school. The reader also feels a comfort in the relationship Bod builds with those that care for him, the dead and his gaurdian Silas who can travel between the living and the dead, proving that family isn't given to you by blood, but by the support you give one another.

The setting of this story is both chilling and warming. Gaiman's dark tone and descriptions of the graveyard present the reader with the traditional feel of being surrounded by the dead, however the warmth given to the supporting characters as they guide Bod through his life create a sense of warmth in such a dark place, making it feel almost homey.

Neil Gaiman takes us through the coming of age of Nobody Jones. Each chapter is disconnected from the other, almost as if each chapter is an episode in a television series called "The Graveyard Book." Each even that Nobody goes through could be read on their own, although the lessons learned by the various graveyard inhabitants all come together in the end of the story. The theme of the novel of family, companionship and going out into the world on our own unfolds magically and left me with a tear in my eye as we watch a not so young Bod leave the graveyard and enter the real world to live his life. It is Gaiman's rich and magical tone that allows the reader to become so attached to the character.

Review Excerpts


Awards:

Carnegie Medal Recipient 2010
Newberry Medal Recipient 2009

Reviews:

"Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery and family." -School Library Journal

"Wistful, witty, wise - and creepy. ...Closer in tone to American Gods than to Coraline, but permeated with Bod's innocence, this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child." -Kirkus

Connections:

Reader's Guide for the Graveyard Book
Book Club questions for The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman's Official Website

Other Books by Neil Gaiman:

-Coraline
-M Is for Magic
-Stardust
-The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
-Neverwhere
-American Gods