The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, Neil, The Graveyard Book, HarperCollins, 2008, 309 pgs.

Summary: Nobody Owens lives in the graveyard. The Graveyard protected him from the man Jack who killed his whole family when he was a baby. Nobody escaped death as a baby only because he unknowing crawls into the graveyard. Mr. and Mrs. Owens take him in as their son and raise him with the help of his guardian, Silas, who is a vampire. The ghosts of the graveyard teach him all they know, which is not the typical things that a child would learn such as how to “fade”, how to call for help when you are among ghouls, and dreamwalking. As Bod gets older he begins to become more and more curious about the world outside of the graveyard. When he finally convinces Silas to let him go to school, he puts himself in grave danger by drawing attention to himself when he stands up against the school bullies. The man Jack is still out there and he knows that Bod is still alive. Jack is still on a mission to kill Bod. Will Bod ever be safe? Will he ever live a normal life or will he always have to stay in the graveyard?

Evaluation: I found this book to be written very uniquely. It almost seemed that each chapter was a separate story with common parts throughout the whole book to tie it all together. I loved the illustrations by Dave McKean and liked that they helped the reader to picture what some of these things looked like that Bod was seeing. I also enjoyed that there were paranormal elements, but they weren’t exaggerated, rather they were seen as something very normal.

Annotation: A killer in the night, a killer with a knife. Will it ever be safe to leave the graveyard?

Significance of Book: I feel the main significance of this book is the concept that a boy is raised without parents and he turns out ok. The oddity of the living arrangement and the use of mythical elements in a way that does not seem unbelievable is what makes this book a real jewel.

Genre/subject: fiction, supernatural, paranormal

Awards:

National:

• · ALA Notable Children's Books: 2009
• · Carnegie Medal: 2010
• · Newbery Medal: 2009
• · Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2009
• · Booklist Editor's Choice: 2008
• · Boston Globe-Horn Book Honors: 2009
• · Capitol Choices: 2009
• · Horn Book Fanfare: 2008
• · Kirkus Best Children's Books: 2008
• · USSBY-CBC Outstanding International Books: 2009

State:

• · Arizona: Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominees: 2011
• · Kentucky: Bluegrass Award Nominees: 2010
• · Michigan: Thumbs Up Award Nominees: 2009
• · New Hampshire: Great Stone Face Award Nominees: 2010
• · New Hampshire: Isinglass Award Nominees: 2010
• · New Jersey: Garden State Teen Book Award Nominees: 2011
• · Oklahoma: Sequoyah Award Nominees: 2011
• · Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award Nominees: 2011
• · Tennessee: Volunteer State Book Award Nominees: 2011
• · Vermont: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominees: 2010
• · Wisconsin: Golden Archer Award Nominees: 2010

Why I selected the book: I decided to read this book because I have heard great things about Neil Gaiman and every youth librarian I have ever had a conversation with asks if I have read it so I felt it was time.

Price: $18.89