Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2008.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman first caught my eye with his Sandman comic books. It was not until researching this book that I realized that I was already a secret fan of his work. I have seen may of the movie adaptions of his work. I have always been attracted to the strange and creepy, but I do not like to be scared. The Graveyard Book is very humorous and smart. Although there are moments of suspense and adventure, it is not a horror novel. The fantasy leads the reader from the boy being found as a toddler to growing up to adulthood in a graveyard. The book is full of vibrant and lively characters... for the dead. The values and humor of the ghosts span across generations and centuries. As Edinger stated in her New York Times article in 2009, Gaiman writes with a sophistication without talking down to children. The ghosts all have a unique sense of humor and emanate history with every interaction with Nobody Owens. The morbid contents of the books are not depressing, but instead intriguing. I believe that both young audiences and old will feel a fascination for the inside down world of the graveyard within the world of the dead. I chose to listen to the book as it was orally read by the author, Neil Gaiman. I believe the mixture of a well written story told by a charismatic author made the story come to life even more. I know that the base of the story is a complete fabrication, but the dead seemed so alive to me. The troubles of this new kind of family kept me listening for more. Gaiman was able to bring the characters to life with different voices and accents.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Cybils Awards for Fantasy and Science Fiction 2008
John Newbery Medal 2009
Hugo Award for Best Novel 2009
Locus Award for Best Young-Adult Book 2009
Carnegie Medal 2010
SFX Award for Best Novel 2010
Matt Berman from Common Sense Media: "It may seem odd to say it, but this is a lovely book. Suspenseful, yes, and a bit creepy, but lovely nonetheless."
Monica Edinger from The New York Times: "The story’s language and humor are sophisticated, but Gaiman respects his readers and trusts them to understand."
5. CONNECTIONS
Other Books by Neil Gaiman:
The Sandman ISBN 9781840231649
Neverwhere ISBN 9783641038649
American Gods ISBN 9780061122910
Stardust ISBN 9789756902509
Coraline ISBN 9780439576888
Good Omens ISBN 9781473214712The Ocean at the End of the Lane ISBN 9782846268035
Novel Ties offers an in depth lesson plan for the novel. I love anything that gives me worksheets that are ready to print! Work smart, not harder! Find it here: Lesson Plan
Harper Collins, the publisher, has a YouTube.com page called "Harper Kids." They have all eight chapters of the book read by Neil Gaiman, the author. Gaiman has an amazing talent in oral story telling. A separate link can be found Harper Kids
No comments:
Post a Comment