The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N. (2008). The Graveyard Book.  NY: Harper Collins

     Nobody Owens is a strange kid, with a strange name, and a strange home. He lives in a graveyard with his adoptive parents, who happen to be ghosts and all of his playmates have been dead for over a hundred years. He survived an attack that took the lives of his parents and sister, which is terrifying way the story starts. Once his new home is established, the story takes a choppy turn and jumps years ahead at a time to see Bod at varying ages. He faces many dangers, mostly outside of the graveyard, but the murderous man Jack makes a reappearance and Bod must fight back this time. 

Textbook Assignment #5 - Evaluation Criteria

Style - Not surprisingly, the style of The Graveyard Book is dark, spooky and at times, creepy. Gaiman tells of a boy who escapes a murder only to grow up in a graveyard, raised by adoptive ghost parents. There are certainly some tense moments, starting with the murders at the beginning, followed by several close encounters with creatures, living and dead, that want to harm the boy, Bod. It would seem that Gaiman has an appreciation for all things related to death in his descriptions of the graveyard, the inclusion of the dance of the macabray, and in his development of the ghosts themselves. His lack of fear in his writing creates a relaxed portrayal of something that otherwise could be quite horrifying.  

Setting - With the majority of this book taking place in a graveyard, the reader might anticipate a very dark and creepy book. The irony is that the descriptions of the graveyard are serene and peaceful making it a believable home for the main character, Nobody Owens. The terrifying points in the plot take place when Bod leaves the cemetery. He encounters danger after passing the Ghoul Gate and again when he enters the pawn shop. Even when he chooses to attend school, his faces dangers he never faced in the graveyard. While in my opinion, the character development was a little flat, the scenic descriptions and references to historical events, including the death dates of the graveyard’s inhabitants, were vivid and made for interesting reading. 

Teaching Books link

http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=12845&a=1

Lesson Plans

http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/the-graveyard-book/#gsc.tab=0