The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

Author: Gaiman, Neil

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: Sep 2008

 “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, starred review

 “Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.”  KIRKUS, starred review 

         The Graveyard Book is about an infant who escapes while his family is being murdered by the man Jack, a professional hitman, in the middle of the night. The baby escapes by climbing out of his crib, down the stairs, and into a nearby graveyard.  Nobody (or Bod, as he is nicknamed) gets taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Owens and the other graveyard occupants, including ghosts, witches, a vampire, a werewolf, and eventually a little human girl named Scarlett who lives near the graveyard. A vampire named Silas, who is not dead or alive becomes Bod's guardian, and rise to find the hitman, who is trying to finish the assassination job by finding and killing the infant who escaped. Because these friends can only help him in the confines of the graveyard, Bod is in danger anytime he steps outside the graveyard boundaries, which becomes increasingly difficult for Bod as he grows older and learns about the world.

        The Graveyard Book is macabre in both setting and plot, but is still appropriate for youngsters from 5th grade to adulthood. Readers will be kept page-turning as the two themes compete - the mystery and certainty of death, and the love of family, even if alien. Gaiman also gives the reader a hope for life. Although Bod is not afraid of death, as all his friends are dead, Silas reminds him, and the readers, that he is not yet dead, and so has hope to find his unique way in the world. When Bod finally leaves the graveyard, he does so "with his eyes and his heart wide open."  Dave McKean’s illustrations accompany Gaimans text masterfully, with equal mystery, suspense, and spookiness.

         When teaching this book, one activity that you could do is for your students to create their own spooky story video. First, students should watch Neil Gaiman reading ( http://www.thegraveyardbook.co.uk/ ). The background is black, and the lighting on his face is spooky. Students can create their own spooky video by choosing a scary story of their own or an excerpt from the Graveyard Book or another story (or writing their own!), creating spooky lighting (using only a candle or flashlight) and reading the story on video. The younger the student, the shorter the story should be, but the effect is the same: multimedia engagement and fun with learning!

Gaiman, Neil. (2008). The Graveyard Book. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 9780060530945