Bibliography: Gaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Ill. by Dave Mckean. New York, NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.

 

ISBN: 9780060530945

 

 

 

 

 

Plot Summary:

A family is murdered, a dad, a mom and a big sister by the Man Jack.  But one of the intended victims is missing, a toddler, a curious little boy.  He had wandered off just before the final murderous act took place.  He had been embraced by the fog just outside the front door and had made his way to the graveyard at the top of the hill.  But the killer needed to complete the job and so he too went to the top of the hill.  Fortunately for the boy, the spirit of his newly deceased mother asks for help from the residents of the graveyard.  The ghosts at the graveyard agreed to raise her son as their own.  He was given to the care of the Owens couple and named “Nobody,” Bod for short, as he looks like “nobody but himself.”  Bod is given the freedom of the graveyard and like any other loving parents the Owens see to it that Bod has everything he needs.  But can the graveyard continue to keep him safe from the Man Jack?  Or will the curiosity that once saved his life put him in peril? 

Audio Review:

This title was reviewed by listening to an unabridged, boxed set of 7 CD’s. It was narrated by the author himself, Neil Gaiman. The Sound quality had clear pronunciations with no background noise. Gaiman is soft spoken and this lends itself well both to comfort and to the slightly eerie tone that is present throughout the book.

I began listening to these CD while on my commute to work. This listening experience seemed tiring and slow to engage. Listening to short excerpts at a time simply diminished my ability to enjoy this story. It wasn’t until I decided to listen to the CD at home without distraction that I suddenly wanted to keep listening to the story. In spite of this, I still feel that reading the book would have probably kept me better connected to the story. I still found my mind wandering at times when I was supposed to be listening to this very long audio.   

 

Critical Analysis:

In spite of the horrific start to this story, Bod's story is one that shows that good triumphs over evil. 

Gaiman does a wonderful job of taking a realistic storyline and twisting and turning it until it transforms into a whole new reality.  This plot takes the reader on a fascinating journey as we follow Bod as he comes of age.  Bod narrowly escapes a very real and horrifying murderous plot by wondering into an eerily secluded graveyard which transforms into his sanctuary.  Given the freedom of the graveyard Bod is raised by his ghost parents and guided into maturity by his guardian Silas.  Silas, who is neither alive nor dead, helps Bod to understand both the world of the dead and that of the living.  Since Bod is alive, Silas ensures that he learns some of the skills of the dead from the inhabitants of the graveyard, such as how to fade. He also ensures that he learns some of the skills of the living such as, how to read and write. 

Gaiman makes the characters believable.  In particular I enjoyed that the language used by the ghosts stayed true to the time period in which they would have been alive in.  For example, Mr. and Mrs. Owens were alive about 100 years ago.  Throughout the book, Mr. Owens addresses his wife as “Mistress Owens”.  But my favorite example of staying true to their time period is when Bod is walking back to his parent’s tomb after an ill-fated quest and he realizes that his parents had died “several hundred years before it had been decided that beating children was wrong… Bod’s bottom stung like anything.” It is easy to relate to Bod, he is smart, brave and a loyal friend.  He'd be a perfectly normal boy if it wasn’t for the fact that he was raised by ghost and other supernatural creatures.  When Bod meets Scarlett (a girl raised outside of Bod’s fantastical world) and pulls her into his world where she meets "the Indigo Man," the reader can easily put themselves in Scarlett's place and experience the story with her because she mirrors the disbelief of the reader.   

Everything about the graveyard’s physical description is based on the typical objects found in old graveyards, from the crypts to the broken angels, tombstones and the small chapel.  It is described in such realistic details that it comes across more like a character in this story than just a mere setting.  It is therefore very easy for the reader to visualize the surrounding of the story as it takes place.  More importantly, the graveyard’s secrets such as the “indigo man’s grave” become an integral part of the story.  

The illustrations by Dave McKean help engage the reader’s imagination as well. What the illustration’s lack in color, they make up for in distinctive details. Even the faces of the statues have readable expressions.            

 

Activities:

Invite students to create a book review trailer.  Older students can create a book trailer using Animoto.  Younger students can create a book review narrated by their own avatar on Voki.com.  Students can then share their review with the class. 

Try a grim twist on an old lesson plan.  Instead of creating commemorative stamps to summarize the life of the famous people assigned to your grade level, invite students to create tombstones.  Students can then add the tombstones to a grade level graveyard.  The tombstones can be displayed outside of the classrooms, where other grade levels can take a tour. 

 

Recommended books by Neil Gaiman:

• The Ocean at the End of the Lane
• Coraline
• Unnatural Creatures

Awards:

• Newbury Medal 2009 winner
• Hugo 2009 Best Science Fiction novel
• Boston Glob Horn Book Award - finalist 2009 Fiction and Poetry, Honor
• Carnegie Medal 2010

Reviews:

“Neil Gaiman's fantasies have entranced both younger readers and adults; this gothic fantasy, a coming-of-age story modeled after The Jungle Book and with slight nods to Harry Potter, will appeal to all ages. By juxtaposing the world of the dead with the world of the living, Gaiman creates a fantastical world where the thoughtful protagonist comes to understand the power of family as he experiences the fear, pains, confusions, and joys of growing up. Critics praised each illustrated chapter as its own little gem, with moments both tender and terrifying—and each equally exciting. ”(Excerpt from Bookmarks Magazine)
 

*Starred Review*

"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. " (Excerpt from Booklist)
 

“THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.” (Excerpt from New York Times Book Review)


“Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying.” (Excerpt from Washington Post) 
 

*Starred Review*
“Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.” (Excerpt from Kirkus Reviews)

*Starred Review*
“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….this is a rich story with broad appeal. ” (Excerpt from Booklist)

*Starred Review*
“Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. …this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished.” (Excerpt from Horn Book)