THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Narrated by the author. Audiobook Download. Audible.com. New York: Harper Children’s. ISBN 0061707392

PLOT SUMMARY

While his family is being murdered by the man Jack, a young toddler escapes from his crib and makes his way outside through the open door. Finding his way to the graveyard up the hill, the boy is taken in by the ghosts of the graveyard inhabitants and protected from those who intend him harm. Adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens and given the name Nobody, Bod for short, the child is given the Freedom of the Graveyard.

The dark and mysterious Silas, another inhabitant with the Freedom of the Graveyard assumes the role of Bod’s protector and provider since he can leave the graveyard, while the other spirits cannot. As Bod grows up learning his ABC’s on the headstone inscriptions, he also learns more about the circumstances of his family’s death. The older he gets, the harder he is to protect until one day the Jacks who want him dead find him in the graveyard. With his protector away, Bod must use all the graveyard skills he has to outwit them.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While at times this fantasy novel might be somewhat scary for younger children, all young readers will wish at some point that they could live in a graveyard too. Gaiman paints a vivid picture of the graveyard and its inhabitants – who are introduced by the inscription on their headstone. Middle school children and young adults can relate to Bod’s experiences of leaving the safety of home, attending school, encountering bullies, and learning the life-lessons that all adults are not worthy of trust and at some point you have to make your own way in the world. While explaining to Silas his desire to attend school outside of the graveyard Bod observes,

“I’ve learned a lot in this graveyard,” said Bod. “I can Fade and I can Haunt. I can open a ghoul-gate and I know the constellations. But there’s a world out there, with the sea in it, and islands, and shipwrecks and pigs. I mean, it’s filled with things I don’t know. And the teachers here have taught me lots of things, but I need more. If I’m going to survive out there, one day.

It is not hard to see why this book was named as the 2009 Newbery Medal winner. Gaiman has crafted a book that while dark with the themes of murder, ghosts, ghouls, and treachery also manages to be uplifting with the themes of love, friendship, family, and good triumphing over evil.

The unabridged MP3 format of this audiobook is 7 hours and 44 minutes long, and each minute spent listening to Neil Gaiman narrate his book is well spent. Considering Gaiman’s writing style and the heavy reliance on dialogue to carry the story, there is probably no one better than the author to perform the narration. Gaiman gives his characters the individual voice and character that he envisioned in his writing.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

HORN BOOK: “After fortuitously escaping the murder of his family, a toddler is taken in by the ghostly denizens of a local graveyard. Growing up in this strange setting entails many adventures, leading to a final showdown with the murderer. Occasional art enhances the otherworldly atmosphere with a flowing line and deep grays and blacks. This ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age novel is both bittersweet and action-filled.”

KIRKUS REVIEW: “Childhood fears take solid shape in the nursery-rhyme-inspired villains, while heroism is its own, often bitter, reward. 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.”

LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Why It Is a Best: An elegant combination of Gaiman's masterly storytelling and McKean's lovely drawings, this book also works as a series of independent but connected short stories set two years apart, following Bod from age two to 16. Why It Is for Us: In interviews, Gaiman has said that this book took him years to write, and it was worth the wait. Imagine Kipling's The Jungle Book set among a forest of graves.”

CONNECTIONS

Have students compare and contrast Gaiman’s THE GRAVEYARD BOOK to Rudyard Kipling’s THE JUNGLE BOOK.

Other books by Neil Gaiman:
Gaiman, Neil. CORALINE. ISBN 0060825448.
Gaiman, Neil. INTERWORLD. ISBN 0061238961.
Gaiman, Neil. M IS FOR MAGIC. ISBN 0061186422.

Other Newbery Award winners:
Avi. CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD. ISBN 0786816589.
Perkins, Lynne Rae. CRISS CROSS. ISBN 0060092734.
Schlitz, Laura Amy. GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES! : VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE. ISBN 0763643327.