BIBLIOGRAPHYGaiman, Neil. 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Read by the author. New York: Harper Collins Audio. Audiobook (Unabridged), 7 compact discs; 7.5 hours. ISBN 0061551895.
SUMMARYThe Graveyard Book written by Neil Gaiman is a tale of Nobody Owens who is a human child adopted by a pair of husband and wife ghosts, Mr. and Mrs. Owens. He was the sole survivor after the murder of his family by a man named Jack. Bod was raised and sheltered by the inhabitants of the graveyard and also taught him the talents of haunting and fading so that he could live in the graveyard without the fear of being found by Jack. Silas was the only human at the graveyard. He offered his services as a guardian to Bod who would go out of the graveyard to gathered food for his survival.
While growing from being a toddler to a young adult, Bod learnt a lot of skills that ordinary humans do not possess. At 5 he even made friends with a human girl named Scarlet who soon moved to Scotland. Even though he had been kept protected in the graveyard, he still longed for the company of living beings. He wanted to attend school like every out child so Silas enrolls him in a nearby school. Soon he found that he did not fit into the place and was drawing too much attention, so he came back to the graveyard.
When Bod turned 15, Jack reappeared but Bod smartly uses all that he had learnt and picked up to defeat Jack. He now felt that the world was a safe place for him again. Silas gave him some money to start a new life outside the graveyard. Bod starts losing his ghostly abilities after he starts living his new life as a normal human being.
CRITICAL ANALYSISGaiman has read this book on his own and has given a different and appropriate voice and emotions to the characters of the story. He had given a lot of attention to the characters while giving them a voice. The details of his work could be noticed well throughout the story. One of the very interesting details that he took care was Scarlet’s accent after she comes back from Scotland 10 years later.
In the beginning, it appeared that the graveyard would be a scary place. Listeners would be worried about the fate of Nobody Owens. But as the story progressed, the graveyard appeared more like a fun place where exciting things were happening.
The readers/listeners will love the character of an innocent boy Bod and children will easily relate to him. The author tells an emotional story of a toddler who was orphaned at a young age and lived in a graveyard with dead companions. As he grew up, he longed for human friends and a life like every normal human lives.
This is a touching story which has been told in a way that it becomes exciting and keeps the listeners engaged till the end. Readers/ listeners aged 10 and above will enjoy reading or listening to the story.
AWARDS/ REVIEW EXCERPTSAudiobook:
Audiobook of the Year, Audie Award (2009)
Audiofile Magazine: “Gaiman gives each specter a different—and wholly appropriate—voice, but he doesn't stop there. He even goes so far as to change a character's accent ever so slightly after she comes back from years and years abroad. Best of all, Gaiman performs a shift of character voice that is an absolute showstopper when he reveals the villain.”
Books for Ears (Audio Book Reviews): “Neil Gaiman reads his Newbery Medal winning book beautifully. His nod to Kipling’s The Jungle Book is just scary enough, intriguing, inventive, well-written, enchanting . . . it’s downright wonderful.”
Novel:
Locus Award, Best YA Novel (2008)
Hugo Award (2009)
Newbery Award (2009)
Novel winner of the 2010 Carnegie Medal
The New York Times: “The Graveyard Book, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form…The story's language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand…In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.”
The Washington Post: “The book's power lies in Gaiman's ability to bring to quirky life (pun intended) the graveyard's many denizens, including a protective vampire and a feisty medieval witch. Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying.”
Publishers Weekly: “The author riffs on the Jungle Book, folklore, nursery rhymes and history; he tosses in werewolves and hints at vampires-and he makes these figures seem like metaphors for transitions in childhood and youth.”
Booklist: “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. ”
Kirkus Reviews: “Childhood fears take solid shape in the nursery-rhyme-inspired villains, while heroism is its own, often bitter, reward.”
New York Times Book Review: “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.”
CONNECTIONS*Before reading the story, encourage a discussion about graveyard and how students would feel living in a graveyard.
*For art, students could paint a picture of any character or part of the story that they liked.
*Related books:
Gaiman, Neil. 2008. CORALINE. Harper Festival. ISBN 0061649691.
Hahn, Mary Downing. 2007. THE DOLL IN THE GARDEN: A GHOST STORY. Clarion Books. ISBN 9780618873159.
Dahl, Roald.1984.ROALD DAHL’S BOOK OF GHOST STORIES. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 9780374518684.
