The Graveyard Book - by Neil Gaiman (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

The 10th anniversary edition of The Graveyard Book includes a foreword by Margaret Atwood as well as sketches from the illustrator, handwritten drafts, and Neil Gaiman's Newbery acceptance speech.

IT TAKES A GRAVEYARD TO RAISE A CHILD.

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy--an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family.

The Graveyard Book, a modern classic, is the only work ever to win both the Newbery (US) and Carnegie (UK) medals.

From the Back Cover

The 10^th anniversary edition of The Graveyard Book includes a foreword by Margaret Atwood as well as sketches from the illustrator, handwritten drafts, and Neil Gaiman's Newbery acceptance speech.

IT TAKES A GRAVEYARD TO RAISE A CHILD.

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy--an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family.

The Graveyard Book, a modern classic, is the only work ever to win both the Newbery (US) and Carnegie (UK) medals.

Review Quotes

"It takes a graveyard to raise a child. My favorite thing about this book was watching Bod grow up in his fine crumbly graveyard with his dead and living friends. The Graveyard Book is another surprising and terrific book from Neil Gaiman." - Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife

"This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming....this is a rich story with broad appeal. " - Booklist (starred review)

"Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murders, trickery, and family." - School Library Journal

"It has a distinctly timeless charm..." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"I wish my younger self could have had the opportunity to read and re-read this wonderful book, and my older self wishes that I had written it." - Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy

"Lucid, evocative prose and dark fairy-tale motifs imbue the story with a dreamlike quality. ...this ghost-story-cum-coming-of-age-novel as readable as it is accomplished." - Horn Book (starred review)

"The Graveyard Book, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment." - New York Times Book Review

"This coming-of-age story, a tale of hauntings and huntings, is full of kindness and wit, humour and horror. Gaiman uses epitaphs to charming effect and the adventures of both living and dead are full of drama." - Toronto Star

"After finishing The Graveyard Book, I had only one thought -- I hope there's more. I want to see more of the adventures of Nobody Owens, and there is no higher praise for a book." - Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels

The Graveyard Book is everything everyone loves about Neil Gaiman, only multiplied many times over, a novel that showcases his effortless feel for narrative, his flawless instincts for suspense, and above all, his dark, almost silky sense of humor. - Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box

"Gaiman has a true gift for narrative and a delightfully light touch, and there are humorous details along with spine-chilling ones. YAs will race through this fine tale and enjoy every magical, creepy moment." - KLIATT (starred review)

"This is, quite frankly, the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written. How he has managed to combine fascinating, friendly, frightening and fearsome in one fantasy I shall never know, but he has pulled it off magnificently - perfect for Halloween and any other time of the year." - Diana Wynne Jones, author of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci

"The invention of immortal folk who readers feel they might like to kick back with may be this prolific, tousle-haired, ex-pat British author's contribution to world literature." - National Public Radio

"The Graveyard Book feels like the careful work of an old craftsman." - Newsday

"This brief, dark, savoury adventure deserves to become a modern classic of children's writing: it has more mystery, excitement and wisdom in a single chapter than all the soap-operatic dilemmas, empty acrobatics and moral dogmatism in those thousands of pages of Potter franchise." - The Independent

"It's hard to think of a more delightful and scary place to spend 300 pages." - The Guardian

"The Graveyard Book is endlessly inventive, masterfully told and, like Bod himself, too clever to fit into only one place. This is a book for everyone. You will love it to death." - Holly Black, co-creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles

"The Graveyard Book manages the remarkable feat of playing delightful jazz riffs on Kipling's classic Jungle Books. One might call this book a small jewel, but in fact it's much bigger within than it looks from the outside." - Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn

"The Graveyard Book confirms what I've always thought: Neil Gaiman is a literary genius!" - James Herbert, author of The Secret of Crickley Hall

"Wistful, witty, wise--and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Gaiman writes with charm and humor, and again he has a real winner." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

"Genuinely frightening." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying." - Washington Post

"Although aimed primarily at younger readers, The Graveyard Book has enough heft to keep adults thoroughly engaged.... Bod's coming of age has its moments of wonder, terror and tenderness, and Gaiman hits exactly the right notes every time." - San Francisco Chronicle