What would it be like to grow up in a graveyard? Would you be content to live as Nobody forever, or would you leave your home to find a new one amongst the living? And what exactly does one get a witch to repay her for her kindness? Such are the questions Bod (Nobody) Owens must ask himself in The Graveyard Book. I have to sheepishly admit that I was unaware of how awesome Neil Gaiman is until I picked this up (*ahem* because it was in the "Bargain" section....and, yes, I was at a brick-and-mortar book store buying a paper-and-glue book; I know, I know, how 21st century of me). Now I'm a fan. Mr. Gaiman is responsible for a whole bunch (terrible accurate and articulate, I am aware) of cool stuff like Coraline - both the book and the movie, The Sandman, Smoke and Mirrors, Odd and the Frost Giants, and Anansi Boys to name a few. Not all of those books are meant for younger readers, though, so do a quick scan of the book before you buy it - in whatever form you so choose to read your books. He also has a stellar web site where you can learn more about him and his widely varied projects. You can find that here.This book won the 2009 Newbery Award and with good reason. It manages to mix creepiness with a bit of suspense, humor, and fantasy and somehow make it appropriate for young readers. My brilliant niece is ten years old and I would recommend it to her, even though it's not really the kind of book that she normally likes and she has an imagination that is way TOO lively - I still think she'd be able to read it without a nightlight. Nobody Owens is two when he toddles his way to the graveyard late one night. The nefarious and duplicitous Man Jack had just killed Bod's family, and it's because of Bod's ability to escape his crib that he walks out the open door and up the hill to the graveyard. There he is taken in by the spirits of the graveyard's permanent residents and the other resident, Silas who is neither of Bod's world or that of the ghosts. From then on Bod roams the graveyard, finding every visible headstone and some not-so-visible, until nightfall when he learns a different kind of education from Silas. Throughout the book Bod grows up and with his maturation comes new challenges: proper clothes, proper schooling, not falling into a Ghoulgate, learning how to blend in both with ghosts and living people, and protecting him from the man Jack. It can sometimes be lonely for a boy from the graveyard but then again, meeting someone means talking about where he lives. Quite the quandary.
I read in his Newbery acceptance speech (printed at the end of the book, and also worth a read) that he originally started the book as a series of short stories. I can see how that might be, but it certainly doesn't detract from the story. I also see the comparison made between this and Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book: both boys being raised outside of their "natural" elements and must figure out how to bridge two worlds or ultimately choose one over the other. I must say I find both books more than a little sad when the boys grow older and start to lose their connections to the worlds in which they were raised. Of course, I also find Now We are Six in which Christopher Robin becomes to old for Winnie the Pooh to be the saddest book EVER. So you may not need as many tissues as I do when it comes to tales of growing up and going on. I'm giving this book a PG rating. I know that there are mature themes throughout, but they're handled in a manner appropriate for young readers. Think Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction; somewhat scary, somewhat funny, altogether fun. So if you're looking for a book that's a little different but well-written (I might even venture that this would be particularly appealing to boys), check out The Graveyard Book.
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| Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and Jason Segel as the hitchhiking ghosts at Disney's Haunted Mansion. To see other Disney Dream Portraits by Annie Leibovitz, go here. |
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