Despite having recently won the Newbery Medal for best children's book, Neil Gaiman occasionally suggests children weren't his intended audience in The Graveyard Book. He mentions European librarians have the book shelved in both the adult and children's sections, while American librarians argue over placing it in the children's or young adult sections. Gaiman seems not too concerned, hoping that all have access to it; I agree. It is an excellent book for readers of any age.


While the book clearly entertains concepts such as death that might bother the youngest readers, the author deals with the subject in such a warm and positive manner, I would have welcomed reading it with my children when they were younger. The story begins with a murder by the villain "the Man Jack," of a family, well all but one small toddler who manages to escape as he likes to explore and wander. The boy finds an open door and makes his way to a graveyard situated near his home. His parents, newly dead, arrange with the ghosts inhabiting the graveyard to care for their young son left behind in life. A lovely couple the Owens, childless in life, welcome the opportunity to raise the young boy who they decide to name Nobody. The boy is nicknamed Bod for short.

Rules of the graveyard dictate that ghosts cannot leave the graveyard where their bones are buried. A guardian is needed who is not bound by these rules to insure that food and other earthly needs can be obtained for young Bod. A being neither of the world of the dead or the living, Silas, agrees to be the guardian. I loved the choice of name for the guardian as it seemed an homage to Silas Marner that perfectly summarizes the relationship of Silas and Bod. Fortunately citizens of the graveyard include many teachers, a doctor and assorted eyewitnesses to history through the ages, so educating and caring for Bod is less daunting than one might think. Bod is afforded protection of the graveyard and learns some skills of the dead, such as dreamwalking and fading, in addition to his other lessons.

I found the education of young Bod to be completely delightful and entertaining. The graveyard is inhabited by ghosts of those who lived throughout the ages. The oldest is Caius Pompeus, a Roman soldier, who Bod seeks out occasionally to learn the history of the graveyard. The site has been full for some time and is designated a historic landmark. Perhaps the most recent inhabitants died in the early 1900's. When Bod finally does make a brief foray into the school system run by the living, his teachers are rather confounded by the "stuff" he includes in his history exams.

The book covers Bod's formative years and includes stories or events that depict his development and growing desire to be among the living as well. Because Bod cannot be fully protected outside the graveyard, the threat to his safety must be confronted and defeated. The threat, of course, is the Man Jack who failed to kill him along with his family members. Silas has been working toward this end on some increasingly longer trips away from the graveyard. In his absence another caretaker, Miss Lupescu who calls herself one of the Hounds of God, cares for Bod. Despite a rocky start to their relationship, Bod grows quite fond of Miss Lupescu from whom he learns some valuable information. Under Miss Lupescu's care Bod takes a rather humorous trip as a captive of ghouls. The ghouls are all deceased politicians.

The book has all the elements of a fantasy children's tale, including prophesies and other worldly beings. One could easily look at the story as a coming of age or as something of the hero journey. Gaiman includes the ingredients and stirs things up a bit with a fresh take on the genre. At it's heart, I saw a story of a rather unusual but very loving family preparing the young to leave the nest. Gaiman mentioned that most of the mail he receives from adults includes admissions of crying at the end. I must include myself in that group. This does not foretell the end, btw. There are certainly a mix of emotions to be experienced toward the end, not the least of which includes a large dose of sadness that you've reached the end.

I would place this high on my list of favorites in children's books though I love several for many different reasons. Gaiman's writing is exceptional, which was really a pleasant surprise. This was the first Gaiman book I have read and I am certain it won't be the last.