By: Neil Gaiman Publisher: HarperCollins Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: HarperCollins Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 320 Publication Date: October 01, 2008 Reading Level: Ages 9-12 Release Date: September 30, 2008
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.
He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.
There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.
But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . .
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.
Amazon.com Review: In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Although the book opens with a scary scene--a family is stabbed to death by "a man named Jack” --the story quickly moves into more child-friendly storytelling. The sole survivor of the attack--an 18-month-old baby--escapes his crib and his house, and toddles to a nearby graveyard. Quickly recognizing that the baby is orphaned, the graveyard's ghostly residents adopt him, name him Nobody ("Bod"), and allow him to live in their tomb. Taking inspiration from Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Gaiman describes how the toddler navigates among the headstones, asking a lot of questions and picking up the tricks of the living and the dead. In serial-like episodes, the story follows Bod's progress as he grows from baby to teen, learning life’s lessons amid a cadre of the long-dead, ghouls, witches, intermittent human interlopers. A pallid, nocturnal guardian named Silas ensures that Bod receives food, books, and anything else he might need from the human world. Whenever the boy strays from his usual play among the headstones, he finds new dangers, learns his limitations and strengths, and acquires the skills he needs to survive within the confines of the graveyard and in wider world beyond. (ages 10 and up) -–Heidi Broadhead
In the Gaiman tradition... In the Gaiman tradition...take a situation that should be gruesome and make it a delight!
This is the story of Bod - for Nobody Owens. His parents were brutally murdered - he is being raised in a graveyard by ghosts, Silas (his Guardian) who lives among the living and the dead, and the "Hounds of God"...but don't think that this book is a cruel, dark tale.
This is a love story - the love of Bod for the parents he lost, the love of his new parents for the son they always wanted in life and his for them - the caring love of Silas for Bod and his for Silas - and the love of the "living girl" Scarlett.
It is also a coming of age book - Bod and Scarlet both find out how real and strong he is! A story of self-discovery and liberation.
Thank You to Neil Gaiman and to Dave McKean, applause for the hauntingly beautiful illustrations!
charming I guess I am one of the few who knew this was a children's book before I read it. So, I was not disappointed by that. I found the book to be very charming and interesting. I wanted a light read, but I always want to care about the characters if I'm going to invest my time in their stories. Though Bod was not overly deep or contemplative, like say Huck Finn, he was sweet and endearing, and I wanted him to succeed. I took pleasure in investing my time in his story even though it was not epic. I was also tickled with the tombstone's epitaphs being read as each ghost was introduced. It is good literature for the tweens. As a teacher of tweens, I like that there is some literature out there that is not painful and depressing.
graveyard Great book. Think The Junglebook only in the graveyard. It has a coming of age quality, some action, and it is interesting. I have recommended it to many of my students and fellow teachers.
wonderful. this book is definitely my favorite of neil gamian's vast works. it was a delight to read, as well as to share with friends and family. however, this book is not actually written for children, as its newberry medal would infer. not to say that there is anything wrong with it, but gaiman's prose would leave many children confused with a lot of information flying over their heads. i would recommend this book for people of age 11 or 12 and up. the product itself is well made, and arrived in pristine condition. definitely worth ordering from amazon and saving a few bucks rather than driving to your nearest chain-bookstore.
Nobody Neil Gaiman does a masterful job of writing about death that children can enjoy. As you read the book, you become captivated with The Graveyard and accept the life of Bod as normal. For example, I wanted to be in The Graveyard to see the Macabray, they had some party in the book. Yet, just when you start to get comfortable with The Graveyard, Gaiman reminds you that a man wants to kill Nobody Owens, the reason the child lives in a graveyard
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