The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, is the story of Nobody Owens. Nobody would seem to be a regular boy with the exception of being raised in a graveyard. This tale is one of friendship, mystery, and things of the dead. Nobody has been given the “freedom of the graveyard” and can interact with all of its inhabitants.
I personally was weary of the book during the first two pages. As a mother, I was disturbed. But by taking the time to read on, I felt an attachment to Nobody. I took him in like his graveyard family. I think this might be a difficult read for my K-4 students. There were references to mythical creatures and bits of history that young elementary children might have trouble with. However, I would recommend this book to older children. The audience is listed for 10 and up. I thought the violence depicted on the first few pages was well-written. Even though the subject matter was disturbing, it was not graphic. The statements were succinct and to the point.
Review: Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.—Megan Honig, New York Public Library --Megan Honig (Reviewed October 1, 2008) (School Library Journal, vol 54, issue 10, p144)
I would use this book in an intermediate or middle school. I think this would be a good book to study character development or imagery. Nobody’s character and those around him became vivid in my mind. The author made the images of the graveyard and its inhabitants jump off the page. Students could use the author’s work as an example of good writing.
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