The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Genre VI

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. Ill. By Dave McKean. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. New York. Harper Collins. ISBN 9780060530938.

PLOT SUMMARY
Having escaped the murderer who look the lives of his entire family, an infant is raised by the dead. An elderly, childless in life couple and mysterious Silas become Nobody’s new guardians. Over the years, they protect, teach and prepare “Bod” for a life they hope he will one day have. Each soul Bod meets in the graveyard trains him for life outside of the gate and shadows that guard him from the Jack that hunts him. Although, Bod grows in chapter after chapter, his journey actually begins at the end of the novel.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman treats readers to a cast of intricate characters. Their complex emotions and reactions make them very relatable. Gaiman’s depictions of the old house, the graveyard, other dominions and beings from other realms are powerful. The author’s style is both heartwarming and dark. Readers are introduced to evils that are deeply disturbing and feelings that range from panic to terror as Bod’s survival is secured. Yet woven into this environment of heighten anxiety, readers find comfort and even peaceful, tender moments in Bod’s perseverance. In this novel, readers find the familiar theme of good will conquer evil with an added twist that suggests this is only possible when more sacrifices are made for love than for any other force. Dave McKean’s black and white graphic drawings at times add visual tension, better understanding and overall enhance the mood of this fantasy.

REVIEWS AND AWARDS
Newberry Medal

HORN BOOK: “Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. …this ghost-story-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished.”

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

CONNECTIONS
*Other books by Neil Gaiman CORALINE and M IS FOR MAGIC.
*One of the characters that Bod comes to know is a young woman who was a victim of the Salem Witch Trials. Have students research other resources on this event in American history.
-The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide by K. David Goss ISBN: 978-0313320958
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/