2009 Newbery Award Winner

“The boundaries are always there – between the graveyard and the world beyond, between life and death, and the crossing of them.“

- Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Genre: Fiction/Horror/Gothic Fantasy novel

Ages: 10 years old and up

This is the grim story of a young toddler, Nobody Owens aka “Bod”, who elaborately escapes the scene of his family’s murder and just by luck, avoids his own death from a crafty killer. He is accepted in the unlikely setting of a graveyard where the ghosts assemble as one to protect Bod and raise him in the vicinity of the graveyard’s barriers. “Whenever the boy strays from his usual play among the headstones, he finds new dangers, learns his limitations and strengths, and acquires the skills he needs to survive within the confines of the graveyard and in the wider world beyond” (amazon.com). The Graveyard Book combines Gothic fantasy with magical horror to create an unparalleled plot that is suitable for readers of all ages. Both children and adults will enjoy the range of entertaining characters, exciting story sequence, and the endless adventures of Bod himself.  The impending revelation of the book’s mysteries will surely keep the readers on edge. As for the illustrations, the eerie, dark-toned pictures coincide with the story’s Gothic theme and offer compelling visuals in-between the already imaginative text. This book deserves a standing ovation.

The Graveyard Book Website!

Author: Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman, born and raise in England, was once discouraged as a young boy for constantly “making things up.” Today, however, he is notoriously famous for writing fiction stories including the New York Times bestselling Coraline, M is for Magic, The Wolves in the Walls, and Blueberry Girl. “The Dictionary of Literary Biography calls Neil Gaiman one of the top ten living postmodern writers, and his lengthy canon of fine fiction and drama leaves no room for argument” (thegraveyardbook.com).

Neil Gaiman Website!

Illustrator: Dave McKean

Dave McKean is an illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker, and musician. During an unsuccessful trip to New York city in his aspirations of becoming a comic book artist in 1986, he met Neil Gaiman and they collaborated to create the Newbery Award winner novel The Graveyard Book. McKean has since been focusing on making films.

Dave McKean Website!

Sources:

• Book Cover Photo
• Author Photo
• Author Information
• Illustrator Photo
• Illustrator Information