THE GRAVEYARD BOOK Book Review

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. Ill. by Dave McKean. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-053093-8

2. PLOT SUMMARY
In the midst of his family’s murder, a toddler wanders out the front door and down the street into the graveyard. The ghosts decide to give him the “Freedom of the Graveyard” by raising, educating, and naming him Nobody “Bod” Owens. Bod’s guardian, Silas, does not belong with the living or the dead but “lives” in-between. The boy revels in dangerous adventures, meeting the Indigo Man, the Sleer, ghouls, werewolves, and more. Seeking the truth about his true family, Bod makes the decision to venture out of the graveyard and into the real world only to be hunted once again in this coming of age story.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bod is a quiet little boy, with grey eyes and tousled hair, growing up in a sprawling graveyard, with only the dead as his friends and teachers. He learns to master what is called, “fading and sliding and dreamwalking.” His supernatural skills are believable because he has been adopted by the dead. A little girl, Scarlet, comes to the graveyard with her mother. This relationship sets the scene for the conflict in the plot. Scarlett and Bod enjoy adventures together, meeting the Indigo Man and the Sleer. His exploits in the graveyard are convincing as his actions stem from normal, child-like feelings of loneliness and boredom.

The graveyard is referred to as a nature reserve, but Bod describes how the tombstones are broken and weathered. The illustrations are done in black pen-and-ink, delivering a gothic feel to the graveyard, and lending an addition to the author’s voice as the graveyard becomes “alive” through the actions and dialogue of the characters. Gaiman mesmerizes the reader with the eeriness of the setting, as Bod’s exploits take him deep under the graves, through winding tunnels in pitch dark, traveling with ghouls, and being rescued by a night-gaunt (winged beast) and a werewolf.

Bod’s internal conflict continues as he is torn between two worlds, the dead and the living. He delights in dancing the “danse macabre, the dance of death” as the dead and the living dance together for one night. He explains to Silas what it means to be around the living, “It’s not the learning stuff. It’s the other stuff. Do you know how nice it is to be in a room filled with people and for all of them to be breathing?” Over the course of the story, Bod matures from a toddler to a teenager, and develops an understanding that life is about potential.

Gaiman creates a strong link between the reader and Bod as the reader experiences Bod’s transformation, while Bod acknowledges that he is now a young man with his life ahead of him. As Silas tells Bod, “You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over.” Bod’s resolve and personal development lead him to face adversity, no matter the consequences, as he is exposed and hunted. This is the turning point in Bod’s life when he is emerging as a young man, becoming independent and dreaming of more than just the graveyard.

The narrator keeps pace with the plot as the reader is led on the never-ending journey, with the “Hounds of God” protecting Bod. Gaiman has delivered a fantastical adventure story in this Newbery Medal winning book for middle schoolers, with twists and turns in not only the graveyard, but in young Bod’s life as well where, at the end of it all, good does eventually triumph to reign over evil.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Bestseller List:

Publishers Weekly

Booksense

Northern California Independent Booksellers Association

Amazon.com

San Francisco Chronicle

Chicago Tribune

Barnes & Noble

New York Times

Newbery Medal Winner 2009

Hugo Awards Winner 2009

Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Nominee 2008

Locus Awards Winner 2009

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Nominee 2009

World Fantasy Awards Nominee 2009

Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award Winner 2009

Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Nominee 2009

American Library Association Notable Books for Children Winner 2009

Great Stone Face Children's Book Award Nominee 2009

Evergreen Young Adult Book Award Nominee 2011

Kate Greenaway Medal Nominee 2010

Carnegie Medal Winner 2010

Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee 2011

Bluegrass Award Winner 2010

Volunteer State Book Award Nominee 2010

Indies' Choice Book Award Winner 2009

Garden State Teen Book Award Winner 2011

Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee 2011

Nene Award Nominee 2012

Golden Archer Award (Wisconsin) Nominee 2013

Audie Award Winner 2015

Sequoyah Book Award Nominee 2011

“Lucid, evocative prose ("'Look at him smile!' said Mrs. Owens...and with one insubstantial hand she stroked the child's sparse blond hair") and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. Warmly rendered by the author, Bod's ghostly extended family is lovably anachronistic; their mundane, old-fashioned quirks add cheerful color to a genuinely creepy backdrop. McKean's occasional pages and spots of art enhance the otherworldly atmosphere with a flowing line, slightly skewed figures, and plenty of deep grays and blacks. Gaiman's assured plotting is as bittersweet as it is action-filled -- the ending, which is also a beginning, is an unexpected tearjerker -- and makes this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished.” -- Horn Book Magazine

“This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages.” --Booklist, September 15, 2008

“Gaiman writes with charm and humor, and again he has a real winner. Readers quickly begin to care about Bod and the graveyard residents. Bod's encounter with the ghouls is brilliantly inventive. Miss Lupsecu, his substitute guardian while Silas is away, is dry-as-dust strict, a bad cook, and a friend to the death. The conclusion is satisfying, but it leaves room for a sequel. Everyone who reads this book will hope fervently that the very busy author gets around to writing one soon.” -- Voice of Youth Advocates, August 01, 2008

5. CONNECTIONS

Learn more about the author, Neil Gaiman at his website, http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/

Meet the illustrator, Dave McKean at http://www.davemckean.com/personal/biography/

Have students read the graphic novel interpretation instead of the original title, The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 1 and The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel: Volume 2. 

Listen to Neil Gaiman on his national book tour as he discusses The Graveyard Book at http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx.

Different types of boundaries, physical and emotional, were important themes in the novel. Discuss whether boundaries are necessary and what would happen if there were none.

The central character in the novel receives his name because he looks like Nobody but himself. Have students think about their own name and research if it has a special meaning or origin. Ask: Does your name suit your personality? Why? Did Nobody’s name suit his personality? Why?