|
Product Details
In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Although the book opens with a scary scene--a family is stabbed to death by "a man named Jack --the story quickly moves into more child-friendly storytelling. The sole survivor of the attack--an 18-month-old baby--escapes his crib and his house, and toddles to a nearby graveyard. Quickly recognizing that the baby is orphaned, the graveyard's ghostly residents adopt him, name him Nobody ("Bod"), and allow him to live in their tomb. Taking inspiration from Kiplings The Jungle Book, Gaiman describes how the toddler navigates among the headstones, asking a lot of questions and picking up the tricks of the living and the dead. In serial-like episodes, the story follows Bod's progress as he grows from baby to teen, learning lifes lessons amid a cadre of the long-dead, ghouls, witches, intermittent human interlopers. A pallid, nocturnal guardian named Silas ensures that Bod receives food, books, and anything else he might need from the human world. Whenever the boy strays from his usual play among the headstones, he finds new dangers, learns his limitations and strengths, and acquires the skills he needs to survive within the confines of the graveyard and in wider world beyond. (ages 10 and up) -Heidi Broadhead
Product Reviews
 (5 stars) - Exactly what you were hoping for
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.
(5 stars) - It Takes A Graveyard ...
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.
 (4 stars) - Classic New Gaiman
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.
(5 stars) - The Graveyard Book
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.
(5 stars) - Raised 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.
Popular Searches in Books compact disk love, book laser, significado de los suenos, skeleton key book anthony horowitz, manga comic books, medical assistant books, soft animal baby book, como hacer el amor, significado de los nombres, incest, greatest political science books, books, one minute monologues monologues for teens, fotos playboy, dragon books, harcourt math books, playboy fotos, book laser, met art, solutions manual, More |
