I read this book cover to cover. Not terrible, just really uninspired.

I really could've put this book down at any moment, because it failed to draw me in. I was really expecting it to get interesting since I found it in "Award Winning Fantasy".

It's a very inoffensive and easy read. You could keep this in a classroom as a loaner, or burn through it in a couple of hours.

I had heard from lots of folks that I needed to check this one out. I'm a book nerd and read a lot. However i really struggled with this one. It really couldn't keep my interest. The strange thing is I love paranormal style books but this one just wasn't my style. I found the writing to drag a bit and in some cases i was drifting thinking of other things. I was easily distracted with this one. Perhaps it is just me but i felt this wasn't one of his better novels.

I finished this the other night, and I did enjoy it very much. It was a bit like, as other reviews said, Neverwhere for kids. I did feel the end was a bit rushed. It read a bit like a movie to me. A movie which I would go see.All and all a good read for Gaiman fans.

The Graveyard Book is apropos of nothing. The plot is like sand falling through your fingers and considering the basic idea, Gaiman reveals a shocking lack of creativity. Neil Gaiman is a vain writer who relies on little tricks of speech and labored "wit" rather than building memorable characters. You'd think ghosts in a graveyard would be exciting but the reader is confronted with an array of helpless and unmemorable stock characters. Gaiman's writing is soulless, just cold manipulation. Gaiman's cynicism shows in the awful way his protagonist seeks revenge and betrays his only friend. J.K. Rowling and even Stephanie Meyer have a lot of heart compared to Gaiman's morbid and miserable stories. I wouldn't foist this piece of misery on any kid. Although Gaiman has adapted a serviceable prose style, his writing is ultimately childish and well... goofy. Over and over, Gaiman's characters are victims, paralyzed emotionally, unable to conclude anything, detached observers who speak ambiguously as if ambiguity was depth, which it is not. Gaiman uses the same stock characters; all powerful gods who will smite you, mean villains who chase you down, woman as props or witches. There is no complexity in Gaiman's characters, and therefore his plots are derivative and plod along, eventually dissolving in a wave of ennui. No wonder he appeals to depressed teen goths. Gaiman has also made a study of throwing together a manuscript with the least amount of effort or thought, every novel reads as if he can't be bothered to do a rewrite, they are disappointing with lame plots and forgettable characters.

I don't often give 5 star reviews (don't want to dilute the rating, ha ha). But this novel is near-perfect.

Gaiman creates a magical tale of a boy raised in a graveyard by kindly ghosts. Bod (short for Nobody) is the only survivor after his family was murdered when he was just a baby.

Taken in by a wonderful cast of spooks at the local graveyard determined to protect him, he grows up learning lessons that only the underworld can teach him, while the murderers who killed his family relentlessly pursue Bod to finish off the job.

This one was filled with uncanny observations on the human condition and characters you will fall in love with.

A perfect Halloween read, by the way!

The Graveyard Book is my first Neil Gaiman book, and I'm definitely planning on reading more. I'd heard a lot of praise of this book, but it still didn't prepare me for the elegance of his style.

Though I liked the drawings, the real charm of this book is the writing. Gaiman has woven a really beautiful coming-of-age tale in which Nobody Owens, the main character, learns some harsh lessons about the nature of life and love. As most people are probably aware by now, there is some violence in the book and it may not be for the younger audience. However, I am not one of those parents who thinks that children need to be protected from everything scary in life. In fact, I'm willing to wager that the average Wii game has more graphic violence than what is portrayed in this book. Some of it is quite scary, that is true, but children need to learn how to control fear and how to recognize when fear is real and important and when it's something they just need to overlook.

One of the things I liked best about the book is that Gaiman never really comes out and tells the reader exactly what the other characters are, leaving you to piece together the clues he drops and figure this out for yourself. This is particularly true of Silas, and I was probably around a third of the way into the book before I realized what his character was. I really admire this as it demands that the reader pay attention to what he or she is reading. It's also a perfect example of an author showing rather than telling. Lastly, it lends to the idea of the book that what people are on the outside isn't really as important on the inside. Is it really that vital that the reader know what Silas is, or is it more significant that the reader sees just how Silas helps Bod learn and grow, and how seriously Silas takes his role as guardian and protector of Bod.

As for Bod, I found him to be an excellent character. He is a very typical boy, with a boy's characteristic curiosity. He occasionally acts out of sheer pettiness and must suffer the consequences. Through Bod, Gaiman also teaches children some important lessons. Sometimes, even though we do what is right, it does not earn us the admiration of those about whose opinions we care the most. This is a painful lesson, but a very valuable lesson--especially in a society such as ours, that emphasizes instant gratification. Bod is a very moral character, but the things he does don't always end well for him and sometimes cause him more trouble than anticipated. Isn't this true of life in general? Sometimes our actions do set many unintended consequences into motion.

Another strong aspect of the book is the unconventional relationships within it. While they are certainly fantastical, this book has a lot to say about the true meaning of the word "family", and how families can form amongst the unlikeliest groups of people. As The Graveyard Book shows, families take responsibility for one another, and care for one another without asking for something in return. Just as his guardian does, Bod learns that he ultimately must make sacrifices for his family, that he must place their needs above those of his own at times. It is a responsibility that he does not shirk, and I think that's an excellent message for anyone.

I highly recommend this book. It is a subtle, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad read. It is a book that will make children think, just as all great literature makes a reader think.

I think I am one of the very few people who truly disliked this book. It has a slow start, keeps going slowly, coming to a very anticlimactic and predictable ending. Not only that, but it is extraordinarily difficult to understand with the vocabulary used. The target audience is 6th-8th graders. They are not going to understand what is going on. I'm sure it's Newbery material because of this fact, because the award committees want the best written book, but I can't see kids actually picking this up and reading it and liking it. It's not written for kids, in a kid friendly way. If I was a kid, the language in this book would drive me up the wall in confusion, rendering me incapable of focusing on the plot at all. I really feel like this was written for an awards committee rather than the readers themselves. It's a very chaotically unclear and unnecessarily wordy book. The premise is fascinating, but it's not written in a way that takes it to its full potential. It's so overhyped to be this fantastic, amazing book...when it's really quite a bore. The characters are flat, there's no action, it's poorly constructed. All of the action takes place at the very end, with no build up. I honestly think it would have been a better book with just the first and last few chapters. It's just...lame. Not done well. It could just be me, but I don't think Neil Gaiman is as great a writer for this particular audience as he is hyped up to be.

Rating: 1.5/5

For me, this book had a slow start, but somewhere around the middle it turned into a truly great book. At first, I found the writing slow and uneven. I had a hard time getting into it. The events are written in a rather flat, emotionless manner, so there wasn't much tension. The plot didn't seem to be going anywhere, it was more slice-of-life in a graveyard. But the story was unique enough to intrigue me, so I kept reading, and I'm so glad I did. By the end, I really loved this book and would definitely recommend it to children ages 10 and older, and most adults would enjoy this book as well. Somewhere around the middle of the book, I became swept up in these bizarre characters lives and couldn't stop turning pages. (That's about the point where the plot takes a turn and things finally start to happen.) The writing remained oddly flat and matter of fact, but it suddenly seemed the perfect voice for the story, the perfect counter balance to the macabre setting and characters. The unique writing voice adds a lot of charm to the book -- a fun mix of dark situations written with a light attitude. There are some very touching moments between Bod and Silas. I adored them both. I thought the concluding action scene was only moderately successful, due to that odd lack of tension, but the final emotional scene captured my heart and kept me thinking about this book long after I'd turned the last page. Definitely worth reading.

"Torn. That's probably the best way to sum up how I feel about this book. After reading multiple reviews, primarily positive, I felt I had to give it a shot. Also, with the added benefit of being able to add it to my reviews for the 'A World of Awards' feature for the Newbery Award, I thought why not? But now I'm not so sure. Let me just say this, if I could leave out the last chapter there wouldn't be a question, it was great! But there it is, the LAST CHAPTER. It had me balling through every last page and wishing beyond hope that it wasn't so. I won't say more about it than that, because I won't spoil it, but I'm almost wishing there was a next book.

"Sticking with the first seven chapters of the book I'll give some honest thoughts. In the first chapter Gaiman grabs your attention right away and it's almost hard to believe a story could begin in such a way, but it's so original. To even imagine that a small child would survive an attack from someone I initially considered to possibly be Jack the Ripper, crazy. Your heart breaks in almost the very first two or three pages, but quickly is healed by some very incredible moments ahead. I also held my breathe a lot during those first few pages, just hoping that things would go well and they do. Really, they have to or there wouldn't be much of a story.

"Every person involved in the undertaking of raising a mortal child in the graveyard is unique and has a history that spans not only decades but centuries. There are ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, vampires, witches, plain old every day human beings, and of course The Jacks. My favorite character by far would have to be Silas, Nobody's guardian and maybe that's because (as it's been hinted by Neil himself) he's a vampire. I love a good vampire character, always have (long before the sparkly versions in today's books came to be). It's the mystery and elusiveness that he brings to the scenes. Always just enough, but not too much. But truly all of the characters are wonderful and it's neat to see how Bod interacts with each of them.

"There is a scene where Silas and Bod are talking about the unconsecrated section of the graveyard, where the 'bad' people are buried. At the time Bod is only eight years old, but asks a question about people who commit suicide:
'Does it work? Are they happier?'
"And Silas responds by saying something so poignant that it affects me even now:
'Sometimes. Mostly, no. It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.' p.104
"In these simple sentences something that I have struggled with for some time was worked out and I have an even deeper peace about something I could do nothing to prevent. It seems silly to me that a simple middle grade fiction book could do this for me, but it did.

"This is a story for someone looking for a little mystery, a bit of adventure and even (believe it or not) some romance. There are silly parts and deep parts depending on what you chose to get out of it. What I liked best about it is that I could really see a young boy getting into it. I'm positive that it's because of The Turkeybird, I'm always on the lookout for books I want him to try out when he's a bit older and this is definitely one of them. Even with the ending how it is, I look forward to talking with him about the results and how it affects his own life and relationships.

"There are a few slow parts, but for the most part it's a quick read that will entertain many. I'm still torn about it, but I'm still recommending it. It's a book that with time will grow on me I'm sure, but for now has me thinking."

The1stdaughter Recommends: Age 10 and up, especially for boys, but not only.

I somehow was locked in a closet and had never even heard of this book before it won the Newbery. So yes, I hopped on the Newbery Band-wagon and checked it out from the library.

I was going to read it with my 7 year-old originally, but when I skimmed the first chapter and we open with the murder of an entire family, excluding a toddler who wanders into a graveyard, I decided this one would be a solo read. The grade level is list as 5th and up. I think that is pretty appropriate, not based on reading level, but subject matter. I was thinking about what genre this would fall into and decided the it needs to be something like "children's horror". I wasn't aware that "paranormal romance" was a genre, so children's horror, or thriller would be where this fits in.

I'm split on this book. There were parts I REALLY liked and parts that were....lackluster. I can't think of a better word. I'm glad my husband was here, I knew quickly the author was british by some of the words in the book, i.e., anarak, oh and some cockney rhyming slang, but I can't remember what it was, it was something like "up the apples and pears" (stairs) or "the trouble and strife" (wife). I'd love to go back and find it, but I am getting sleepy and my book is due back tomorrow.

I did have to look up a word, which seems uncommon when reading a children's book that was written in 2008. I did not know what apoplexy (the cause of the demise of Thackeray Porringer in 1734) was, until I looked it up. My husband didn't know what it meant until we looked it up either, which made me feel less dumb!

I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations either. I did notice however, if you look at the cover, the negative image of the headstone, in the blue is a boy's face. I would be interested to see what the inside illustrations by Chris Riddell look like in the UK version as Gaiman himself states in his authors note that they, "both drew wonderfully and differently." I've seen the cover, but not inside the book.

I didn't think of the comparison to Kipling's The Jungle Book until I read the authors note. The Jungle Book wasn't quite as dark as this. After all, fuzzy animals vs. ghosts and spirits....a bit different.

I would recommend this 2009 Newberry Medal winner, with caution. Some children may not be ready for the dark and sometimes quite scary themes. I ended up with the 4/5 rating because I felt the good outweighed the bad.

~Jenn

Topics: death, murder, ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves, bullying, hauntings, graveyards, scary situations

Main Characters: Nobody (Bod) Owens, Mr. Owens, Mrs. Owens, Silas, Mrs. Lupescu, Scarlett, The Jacks of All Trades

Setting: a graveyard in modern day England

Theme: After the murder of his parents and sister by the man Jack, a toddler escapes to a graveyard where he is adopted by ghost parents and given the name Nobody Owens. Bod stuggles to find out where he fits in, in the spirit world or in the human world. With the man Jack still on the loose, Silas, his guardian, and his group of ghostly friends do everything they can to protect him.

To buy into the plot of this Harry Potter rip off, you must buy into a series of increasingly implausible premises, the first being that a babe in diapers has the wherewithal to seek refuge from a mass murderer blocks away in a graveyard.

In said graveyard said babe grows up with not one iota of curiousity about what lies beyond his metaphorical prison despite all the alluring smells and noises beyond the headstones. This pretty much sums up the babe called Bod: he has zero curiosity. The world flows over and around him. Of course, if Bod were even remotely curious about the world beyond, he'd be gone, and there'd be no story. Suffice it to say, this is not a story about a lost boy raised by ghosts; this is a writer pushing character around for the sake of plot.

When Bod does leave the graveyard (finally!), he makes for the police, right? Sorry. Bod heads straight for a pawn shop intent on pawning off a Celtic relic. Now, I ask you, how does babe-in-the woods Bod suddenly know the ins and outs of a pawn shop, and the value of money (and a Celtic relic) when he hasn't even tasted fish and chips? The fact that this story is a fantasy does not excuse such incongruous leaps of logic. Once again, the writer is pushing character around for the sake of plot.

As for why the man/men Jack are pursuing Bod (the story's major premise), I honestly have no idea. Even when I played the audio book back countless times, I still had no idea why Bod was being pursued by the murderous Jacks. What I do know is that this story is a Harry Potter rip off.

Let's add it up, shall we, and see what the Newbery jury missed:

1. Harry's and Bod's parents are both murdered by nefarious, supernatural forces for reasons unexplained till the end. Check.
2. Harry and Bod are adopted by strange parents. Check.
3. Harry and Bod are both educated in the darker arts by friendly supernatural forces in supernatural schools. Check.
4. Harry and Bod eventually learn they are in peril by nefarious, supernatural forces (see point #1). Check.
5. Harry and Bod form platonic relationship with girls. Check.
6. Harry and Bod both defeat forces of evil (see point #1) with their acquired supernatural powers.

And you thought the Newbery award was for original writing.

For those in search of serious reading and writing, I suggest the novel Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Part 1 and 2.


***

The Graveyard Book
By Neil Galman

Publisher:HarperCollins
# of Pages:307
Age Rating:+12
My Rating: 4 Stars


Synopsis:
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family...

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Review:
The first Neil Galman's books that I read was Coraline and I LOVE it so much that when I saw that Neil Galman had more books, I just had to get one to see if it was good as Coraline. Coraline is still my top favorite Neil Galman's books but I really,really like The Graveyard Book. People who like their stores to be neat and in order will not like this book as much because this book is kind of loose and easy, fun and random, what ever you want to call it.
I really like Bod, he was the kind of boy that makes you want to help him and cheer him on even when he makes mistakes, you still want to help him and not yell at him so something.
The plot was a very fun idea, being raised by the ghosts in the graveyard (most of them are nice) but I wish that author had more of the "Jacks" in the book, it would have been nice to know more about them.
This book is amazing, it's a easy read,
I give it 4 stars.

Enjoy! :D:D:D

A coldblooded killer, with an unknown motive, murders all the members of a family except a young toddler. The child escapes to a nearby graveyard where he is given sanctuary by the ghostly residents. Thus begins a rather intriguing tale of young Nobody Owens. He was named by the ghosts and denizens who protect and raise him in the local graveyard. Over the years,as his family's killer narrows the search for him, he gradually learns the reasons he is warned not to leave the shelter of the burying ground. An enjoyable book about a boy coming of age in a rather unique setting. I must admit I was at first creeped out by the description of the killer purposefully pursuing the toddler with the intent of killing him.

STORY TELLING AT IT'S BEST. IF YOU LIKE THIS AUTHOR I SUGGEST YOU TRY SHADOW PROWLER BY ALEXEY PEHOV. HIS FIRST BOOK TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2010. I HAVE READ HIS WORK IN RUSSIAN. HE IS THE NUMBER ONE FANTASY WRITER IN RUSSIA. HIS NOVEL SHADOW PROWLER WAS TRANSLATED BY THE SAME MAN WHO TRANSLATED THE FAMOUS BOOK NIGH WATCH.

'The Graveyard Book' is the story of Nobody Owens. Nobody (Bod) is aboy who wanders/toddles into an old graveyard while escaping a killer. The killer, Jack (of all trades) has just killed his family and fails to complete the task by killing the toddler. The toddler is protected by the ghostly inhabitants of the graveyard and a mysterious person named Silas. After saving the boy from the killer, the ghosts decide to adopt and care for the boy.

The boy, Bod, grows up in the confines of the graveyard where he is safe and protected. The various ghosts take up the role of Bod's teachers. They teach him to read using the gravestones, and books that are provided by Silas.

As Bod gets older he yearns to leave the confines of the graveyard and find out what is outside the walls. Unknownst to him, the killer Jack is still on the hunt to complete his task from so many years ago. A thrilling conflict brings this part of Bod's story to an end.

I enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite Gaiman story. I enjoyed Neverwhere much more. This book was written for the teen reader, but as an adult I found some of the chapters very slow moving and there were many storylines left unanswered.

If you are a fan of Gaiman's work I think this book is well worth the read. I am not sure I would recommend this book to teens.

This is a really good story, but I don't think it deserved any awards. I wish I'd borrowed it from the library instead of purchasing it.

I picked up this book when searching for award winning books. I was also surprised to have learned that Gaiman also wrote "Coraline" which my nine-year-old daughter immensely enjoyed (saw it three times). I wanted to find something that would be fantasy but existentially based (think Halan Ellison)for children.

I think the vocabulary is sometimes at a high school or even college level (this gave me an opportunity to increase my daughters vocabulary, by quizzing her on the meaning of such words from time to time)that required explaining to my daughter, but not enough that it detracted from the reading. Gaiman's style and ease of the writing made reading out-loud reading exquistely enjoyable for me. My daughter anticipated earnestly the readings of the novel (incidently, I contingently used the book reading as a reward for putting on the jammies, brushing the teeth and be in bed before 9pm with a 90% success rate)and only a few mentions of worries on the death themes. Although a fantasy novel, the theme of death is always presented in many forms including nostalgia and rememberence of the dead, the supernatural powers of the death (myths), and respect and honor of the dead, to name a few.

I think this is a great book to read for a child who loves to hear stories and is a patient listener. The content, although dark, is no darker than some of the Grimm stories published a couple of centuries ago. The main character, a boy, asks the same questions the reader wonders about. The mystery of the boys' family's death, his tutelage by those in graveyard, and the denouement of the main plot seems to come almost to quickly given the slow built up of the first six chapters. I hope there is a sequal to the adventures of Nobody Owens as he continues to discover who he is and what his purpose in life is to become.

I absolutely love this book. This has to be one of, if not the best, Neil Gaiman novel. I have read several of his works, and this one haunts me the most. The story is so well written and engrossing. I felt so strongly about the main character, Bod, as if he were real. I've actually read it twice now, and because this story still haunts me, I will read it for a third time when I am done with my current novel. I would strongly recommend this book to other adults, it's a story that different age groups can easily enjoy.

This is a wonderful tale about a boy and his adventures in a graveyard - with ghosts and goblins. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book. The first 10 percent sets off nicely. The story slows a bit for the next 60 percent as it takes lead character through life learning lessons. The last 30% of the book picks up the pace and comes to a awesome close. Definitely worth a read.

I usually have trouble reading young reader books, as I need adult reading. I loved this book. My daughter is reading it now, she is 22. This author has my 4 yearold grand daughter entranced with Caroline. Awesome book!

I loved Coraline (the movie) and thought I'd give this a try. I couldn't put it down. I even gave an oral review of this book to my daughter's 5th grade class, and many of them argued over who would get to read it first!

The subject matter could be a bit intense for younger readers, but the story is riveting and both adults and children should love it.

Enjoy!

Interesting tale of an unconventional childhood and a really-stretching-it definition of family. A bad man named Jack creeps into a house in the middle of the night and murders all of the inhabitants, except one - a toddler who manages to escape his crib and the house, and make his way to the nearby graveyard, where the ghosts who live there take him in and protect him. They name him "Nobody" or "Bod" for short. He grows up and learns both ghost-things and human-things from his ghost family and from his guardian Silas, a being neither dead nor alive (possibly a vampire, but never really determined.) Because the bad man Jack is still searching for him, Bod never leaves the graveyard where he is safe. But of course, as he gets older, he isn't satisfied with his life in the cemetery and begins to explore, and yearns to get out into the human world. He makes some bad decisions, as all children do, and has to deal with their consequences. Alternately creepy and charming, this book is funny and touching and inventive.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is the story of Bod, a boy who was orphaned as a baby when his parents and older sister were murdered. He escaped to the cemetery, where he lives and is able to see the ghosts who dwell there.

The Graveyard Book is both dark and funny, which is a difficult combination to achieve, but Gaiman does. Bod is smart, and given his interactions with dead people from hundreds of years, he was a fantastic grasp of history, the history of language and customs. All the ghosts speak and act in the manners of their times. The mystery was compelling, even for me as an adult reader. The story is accessible, but isn't elementary. I adored The Graveyard Book, and I think it has the crossover appeal for teens and adults the Harry Potter books do.

As a fellow quirky author I love Neil Gaimans work. He makes graveyards sound like a fun place to be! Worth getting!

This book will always have a special place in my heart. I was privileged to hear Mr. Gaiman, an author I love and respect, read a chapter aloud at the National Book Festival in 2008, and was able to get a copy a few days before the book was available other places. This was one of those books that I could not put down, which I struggled with, because I did not want it to be over! Gaiman is a wonderful writer and storyteller, and does not disappoint here. The story is captivating, magical, joyful and heartbreaking. One of the first memories I have is of my dad reading Kipling's The Jungle Book to me, and I loved the parallels between the books. This book deserves every award it has gotten, and I cannot wait to share this coming-of-age story with my own children someday!

this book was truly enchanting. it's filled with ghosts, werewolves, murders, spells, secret societies, frightening roads to hell, bewitched children, and more! there is no reason NOT to buy this book.

Having grown up on Walt Disney's "The Jungle Book" and reading the Kipling original later as a child I immeadiately knew what to expect in Neil Gaiman's latest youth-focused release. I don't say "children's book" because Gaiman's work is really so superb that it can be easily appreciated by almost any demographic. (except maybe children under six to seven years of age or so) What I expected is a coming of age story fraught with peril and exploration and I wasn't disappointed.

Gaiman has a knack for developing macabre settings and characters without reveling in depression and hopelessness. His tale begins with grisly demise of Bod's (the protagonist) parents. Some parents may find this disturbing, but Kipling penned similar passages and Disney has killed many a parental figure in it's long tenure as reigning childhood entertainment machine. He also creates an almost loveable (almost) vampire, a community of ghosts that embody (no pun intended) the tagline "it takes a graveyard to raise a child," and a witch that will probably have parents smiling to themselves as their children share Bod's innocent bafflement.

All these characters can only barely compete with the enchanting graveyard setting. It seems like it would be a cramped place to live, but like growing up in our family home there is always some trouble to get into and that holds true for Bod and his moldy graveyard. With passages that lead into ghoulish other worlds and the crypt of a very interesting guardian there are plenty of opportunities for Gaiman to foster curiousity and even light terror in his readers.

This is a fantastic work of short fiction that should be read by anyone who enjoys a good coming of age story. Be warned that the ending is appropriately heartbreaking. (the ending of the Jungle Book was not nearly as effective) However, it's the kind of ending that hurts adults so much more than children. I will even venture that if there are any damp eyes after the book is closed they will be your own.

The premise of this book was enough to make me want to read it. I'm extremely glad for that, because it was such a spectacular novel.

I can't believe I didn't realize this, but the concept of this book must be loosely based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It's not a direct parallel to Kipling's masterpiece, but the similarities are there, most noticeably with the title. It's not like there's a companion character for every Jungle Book personage, though. You've got a Mowgli, a Bagheera and a wolf pack, but there's no real Shere Kahn, no Kaa, no King Louie, or anything like that.

The story is about a baby boy whose family is murdered by a shady killer. The baby rolls away and ends up in a graveyard one night, and a family of ghosts decide to adopt him. The boy grows up in the graveyard and learns things from the ghost--fading, dreamwalking, etc--until he reaches his teenage years.

From there, I don't really want to ruin anything. Gaiman does a good job of playing around with this concept, exploring what would happen with such a character in such a setting. And of course, he does eventually have to face off with the man who murdered his parents.

I listened to this on audio, but I'll definitely get the printed version. I do recommend the audio for one major reason: there's a beautifully fitting interlude between the chapters, an uppity tune played on a Spanish guitar that brings images to mind of a Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. It was just too perfect. Plus, Gaiman himself read the book, so the characters had voices exactly as the author intended.

Pick this book up, sit back and enjoy. It's amazing.

The coldblooded murder of an entire family leaves only one survivor: a toddler who wanders into a nearby graveyard before the killer can get to him. Bod is taken in by the graveyard folk and given the "freedom of the graveyard". Now, possessed of supernatural powers and superhuman senses Bod wanders among the dead. As he grows older Bod grows more curious about the outside world. However, the mysterious killer is still on the loose and still out to get the escaped child.

As an adult I didn't hold out much hope that I would enjoy a children/young adult novel, however, because I am a huge fan of Neil Gaimen I decided to attempt The Graveyard Book. I am surprised and delighted to report that my assumptions were entirely wrong. Gaiman is a master storyteller who manages to write children's literature without making it childish. The prose are every bit as witty as Gaiman's adult novels and his voice is every bit as captivating.

The Graveyard Book reads something like a television show. It moves through different episodes of Bod's life which lead to the final resolution and aid not only in Bod's growth but his struggle against the man who killed his family. It is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages. Neil Gaiman fans will love it and new readers will find that they have an new favorite author!

A little toddler woke up at night and used his recently acquired skill - walking - to leave his little room and out of the open front door in the middle of the night. As this was happening, the man Jack was busy killing the boy's parents and 7 year old sister and then, went looking for him.

The little boy walks to a graveyard and the ghosts there save him. His dead mother's ghost implores them to protect him and tells them that the murderer is not far away. The ghosts of the graveyard appoint him a mother and father and a guardian (who might be a vampire). As the man Jack approaches the graveyard, the guardian Silas manages to distract him.

The little boy is called Bod - short for Nobody Owens - and is raised by the loving Mr. & Mrs. Owens. His guardian Silas brings him food and books, and appoints him different teachers from the graveyard to teach him all kinds of skills and knowledge.

The ghosts of the abandoned graveyard are Bod's friends and family and as he grows, he yearns to join the real world and to experience school. The man Jack is, however, still out there in the real world, hunting for the little boy. And as Bod joins a real school and manages to get in a scrape or two, he seems to only attract danger more and more.

The Graveyard Book is a delightful little read. I couldn't put it down and finished it one sitting. Although the book has closure and has a satisfying ending, I find that I want to know more about what'll happen to Bod Ownens.

Because of limited space and a life spent moving from place to place, I own few books. I have found only a relatively small number of books worth having as hardback; this novel now joins my small club of truly wonderful books, which also includes books such as Jane Eyre, The Book Thief, Frakenstein, As I Lay Dying, Moby Dick and a volume of everything Chaucer. This odd assortment makes up the 'thinking' books, the stories that take me by the hand and lead me into new worlds with new thoughts.

A toddler slips away and escapes to safety during the murder of his family. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants have no other choice but to adopt him and raise him. The child grows up among a group of characters from different historical periods of time that includes ancient Roman Caius Pompeius, a young early American witch, a theatrical poet and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, while the threat of the man who murdered his family and who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's graveyard family provide him with safety, love and life lessons. Personally this book reads like great stories of the past and for some reason had glimmers to me of Oliver Twist!
Bravo Neil!

P.J. Duval
Author of the Novels
The Adventures of Nicki in Wolf Creek &
The Secret Clubhouse (Adventures of Nicki)
Both available on Amazon.com

I have come to expect so much from Gaiman's work. It's almost not fair to him the level of expectation each new work of his garners, alas, this is not a let down. There is really nothing much I can add here that has not been said multiple times over, only that the writing, and the artwork, is beautiful. This is simply just another great work in a large body of work by Gaiman. If you are new to him, pick it up. If you are a seasoned veteran of his material, pick it up. You will not be disappointed. Now, I am going to go read it for a second time!

I think this book is actually 3.5 stars. I bought it for my son (12) who put it down about half way through. I picked it up because the reviews had been so good - I wanted to convince him to finish it. I think the problem is the stories are a little disjointed - lacking flow. The writing is good but the story line isn't engrossing - just an interesting concept. My daughter who reads everything put it down after a couple chapters. I would get it from the library.....

Neil Gaiman has a talent for taking quirky, 15 degrees off the norm stories and making them compelling. I picked this up for my oldest son, along with Coraline because of this talent. Gaiman's writing for the younger set puts me very much in mind or Roald Dahl and JK Rowling in that his children are competent, they face dangerous situations and come through them, if not unscathed, then at least they come out the other end wiser and often better for the experience. His worlds are often moody, somewhat dim (I wouldn't posit that they are "dark" but rather the first step or two in that direction) and I know a number of parents who feel they are too "strange" to be exposing the younger set to, but have never found them to be too dark or threatening for the kids I read to. Rather the contrast of reasonable people in a strange and unreasonable setting seems to be something that children can relate to (I suppose because we adults often seem unreasonable ;)

Bod, short for Nobody Owens, escaped his own death when he was just an infant. Though his attacker had not given up Bod has remained safe in the graveyard, whose inhabitants have taken him in. Bod learns what he can through the years from the different ghosts and other folk who reside in the graveyard. Now and then he ventures out into the real world but nothing good usually comes from those escapades. This is the story of him coming into his own, after being under the watchful eye of his Guardian.

This was an enjoyable book. I loved the illustrations, even though some of them looked unfinished I think they went with the text very nicely. This wasn't a flowing novel really, each chapter was like a different clip from Bod's life. The chapters progressed in order and Bod was a little older in each one until the end. It was interesting to read about Bod in the real world and how he reacted and how people reacted to him, because he was a little different than they were. The relationships that Bod made were interesting, some of them good, some of them bad, most of them weird. The writing was spot on for being a book about a graveyard filled with dead people from decades ago in England. I don't have any bad things to say about this book. It's Neil Gaiman, it was a good story and that is pretty much all. I liked it. Read it. You have the time, what are you reading right now? LAME, read this instead.

First Line:
"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

Favorite Line:
"A voice by his ear said, ' Say you'll miss me, you lumpkin.'"

I adored the audio book version of Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book.' I always love listening to Gaiman read his works. When I read his books, I often hear his voice in my head.

I still have not gotten my purchase. I am very disappointed. It was supposed to be here between October 25 and November 13 and I still have not received it or an explanation.

Nobody, or Bod, Owens was a toddler when he first entered the graveyard. He tottered up the hill from his house while his parents were being silently murdered by "the man Jack" who is known to be a meticulous and a perfectionist assassin.

Bod is taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a married couple in a ghost form who have lived many, many years ago and have always wanted a son. They adopted the boy and gave him the name "Nobody" because he "looks like nobody but himself."

Bod's newfound otherworldly family grew to include what Megan Honik of the New York Public Library calls "a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own."

Bod grows up in the graveyard with special privileges and responsibilities. He can see and hear what his ghostly family sees and hears. He can make himself "fade" and he becomes a guardian of the graveyard. He is also instructed not to venture into some parts of the graveyard, but thankfully he disobeys those orders and in turn giving us [the readers] the most thrilling macabre adventures where the Duke of Westminster, the Emperor of China and the 33rd President of the United States (Harry Truman's name is never mentioned) are hideous ghouls hungry for Bod's flesh.

As a teen, Bod comes face to face with his parents' murderer as the final events unravel into a bittersweet ending.

Although not as good as "American Gods", and nothing really is, this book is wonderfully entertaining and the darkest coming-of-age story I've ever read. As a 34-year-old adult, I gotta say I enjoyed it immensely. It was hard to say good-bye to Bod at the end, but his story was so imaginative and enriching I was thankful to be taken on such a wonderful ride to begin with.

Another Gaiman classic for sure! Read it.

So this is a fantastic book - bit dark at the beginning for anyone (in my family) under 10 years old...

So refreshing in this "Twilight" grunted/stunted new world order...

BUT - if we can comprehend transitioning from the world of the living to the dead WHY OH WHY do we have to endure such ridiculous restrictive practices of Kindle/Audible/Publisher Shi�e where I can a) buy the book; b) buy the audible book (an amazon company) on Audible - excellent service and can listen to it on my ipod/computer - but cannot listen to it on my Kindle - NOR can I purchase the book on my Kindle in the UK - I give this nonsense around another 2 years max before the publishers and the public see sense... Piracy is not the answer - lots of people are driven that way for ease of use... I want to pay my contribution for the different formats - but you are not allowing me - this is crazy!

The Graveyard Book is one of the most creative books I've ever read. I teach 5th grade and have read it to my past two classes and they were enthralled. If you teach, you'll want to discuss often to make sure they are visualizing the text accordingly and that they comprehend the plot and also have them keep track of their inferences (we wrote clues about Jack and Silas throughout). The only place where I personally felt the novel to be lacking was in Bod's character. He seemed to lack emotion (maybe purposefully) and depth, but even so, the reader will not be disappointed with the book. An excellent read for kids and adults alike. Neil Gaiman may be a genius.

It starts off with a murder mystery involving a mysterious man and a knife who kills a family all, but one ...

From beginning to end the story completely engulfed me and would not let me go. I followed Bod's adventures as he took me through his home full of its own mysteries of histories: Along the way you'll meet The Hounds of God, Ghouls, A Witch, Go to a dance of sorts, and meet Bod's other friends and family. Bod will also take you to other worlds far below and so much, much more!

You will feel as if your apart of Bods family or a special small circle of friends.

Not only does Bod have a mystery of his own he must discover, but there are many throughout the graveyard which all come together for one big exciting adventure!

As I finished my book my thoughts were not sad that I was actually completing it, but because of the way it ended. I literally did not have a dry eye.

I hate to think that ANYTHING could beat out or knock down my beloved Coraline, but now I am afraid it has with The Graveyard Book.

Not only has it become my favorite Neil Gaiman (and as much as I love his adult works I love his children books even more now!) book it has topped the best book of the year (for me at least)!

So pick up The Graveyard Book and follow Bods many mysterious adventures!

The illustrations are by the amazing Dave McKean. Simple, but lovely and fit the book so perfectly.

I liked this a lot. It's classic Gaiman, with lots a memorable scenes to it. I don't know that I'll remember it as a novel so much as I'll remember individual stories and characters, but that's cool. More and more with Gaiman, I'm coming to feel the pure power of storytelling in his writing. He writes stories about telling stories, in a way. Highly recommended.

The book came to me brand new and quickly. This is a children's book and even though I am over 50, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story mostly takes place in a graveyard. I like a little easy paranormal every now and again. It begins with a murder, and if I were reading it out loud to my grandchild, I think I might leave out a word or two from that portion. But, the murder itself is important to the story. It is not scary, but offers a little of everything to keep you interested - suspense, love, family, and the normal lessons to be learned by a boy growing up... in a graveyard.

Not since Harry Potter, and I don't raise the name of that icon often, have I read a children's book that so thoroughly engrossed me. It's such a cliche' to say that I hated to turn the last page, but I was in tears by the end of the book, partly because it was such a satisfying, completely genuine ending to a creative story, but also because I knew I wouldn't be reading another book as wonderfully, inventively written for a long time. They just don't come along that often. Admittedly inspired by The Jungle Book, where Mowgli is an orphaned baby raised in the jungle by the animals, Neil Gaiman has brillianty invented a story where an orphaned baby toddles his way into a graveyard after his family is murdered and is adopted by the ghostly inhabitants. (This is handled very well, with very few details.) They name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short. When I purchased the book, I had no idea that it would go on to win the 2009 Newbury Award for children's literature, awarded to one children's chapter book per year by the American Library Association. I have not always agreed with their choices, but kudos to the ALA. They got this one perfectly, splendidly correct. It would be a wonderful book for a family to read together. If they can handle Harry Potter...they will welcome getting to know Bod. I miss him already.

Such a disappointment.

Occasionally there would be details that filled me with delight: the Sleer, the ghoul gate, the fact that Bod finds sleeping in a tomb totally natural, the way he learnt history from ghosts and this was often considered incorrect history when he briefly went to school. And I'll give Gaiman a lot of credit for the ending. He had Bod engineering the bad guys' ends, from various things he'd encountered in earlier years. Bod actively defended the graveyard. It made the story wrap up much tighter than I'd expected -- and that worked for me -- but it didn't prevent the book, overall, from feeling too thin.

Scarlett (a regular girl) says to Bod, after he's disposed of the bad guys:

"You aren't a person. People don't behave like you. You're as bad as he was. You're a monster."

And herein lies my biggest problem with this book: Bod is quite the opposite to Scarlett's accusation. He's too normal.

Bod is raised in a graveyard by ghosts and a probably-a-vampire. The details I mentioned above are wonderful, these little hints that Bod is fundamentally different to other children. But they were just hints, little personality quirks, and my overwhelming impression was of a normal boy who just happened to live in a graveyard. I think part of the problem is the length and format of the book. It's episodic, with little adventures or events being the focus of each chapter, and it's not very long. It doesn't take the time to really delve into what it means for Bod to have his upbringing; it's more about adventure than character-study. And I really wanted the latter.

In terms of his character, well, at least he's more active than Shadow and the Neverwhere guy. He tries to be kind to Liza, he goes after the bully at school, he saves himself at the end. He's curious and kind-hearted, but he's quite... bland. Liza (a ghost witch) is the most interesting character of them all. I loved how she bitterly related what happened her; she really had a voice.

She got a personality transplant later, though, when Bod becomes a teenager and she gets moody because that's what teenaged girls do with teenaged boys, yes?

Gaiman managed to pull out several of my Big Dislikes in fiction towards the end: the bad guys reveal important information to the good guy, a prophecy is involved, and at the very end, Bod loses his magical abilities the graveyard gave him for no particular reason. (Maybe the ghosts intentionally did it, not it automatically happening because he was older, but because they thought he needed to be among live people? If so, I think that could have been brought out a little more. Magic just fading with age is dumb.)

Another annoying episode was where Bod goes to school. He adapted very quickly, despite growing up in a graveyard, and quickly pursues bullies.

Admittedly, the ghosts are pretty much regular people with funny speech patterns and some cultural differences. But that could have been played on more -- making Bod struggle to fit in with 21st C kids, when he plays with kids from throughout the centuries. Even with Silas' modernising influence, I think Bod should have been at a slight cultural disconnect.

Overall: while I enjoyed little aspects of the book, it badly failed on the too-normal character of Bod and decreasingly interesting plot.

It's a teen book. There is nothing in particular that makes me walk away from it and feel like it is any more than that.

Excellent condition, great price, fast delivery. This was my first time purchasing a used book and I am sold. Thank you.

Neil Gaiman's latest is supposedly written for the teenager set, but is a great read for adults too. It's both an adventure and coming-of-age story about a young boy who is adopted and protected by the resident spirits of a cemetery. While there is an element of "Harry Potter" in this, (orphaned lad, the fight between good and evil,) the beautifully sparse language of Neil Gaiman tells the tale in a more stripped down and succinct fashion - leaving it to the reader's imagination to fill in the details. The book manages to be suspenseful and humorous at the same time (as when describing the graveyard residents with their epitaphs: "Miss Letitia Borrows, spinster, Who Did No Harm to No Man all the Dais of Her Life. Reader, Can You Say Lykewise?"). The name of the main character is "Nobody" - the achievment of the book is the reader ends up caring for and wondering about the future of "Nobody."