Bod, although named Nobody Owens, isn’t a nobody. Someone wants him dead. The Man Jack killed his parents and sister one dark night. Bod was just a toddler and narrowly escaped The Man Jack’s knife when he wandered off into the cemetery just across the way from his parent’s home. It was highly unprecedented, but Mr. and Mrs. Owens, both ghosts who have already lived in the graveyard for many years, agree to adopt Bod when the ghost of his mother begs Mrs. Owens to care for him. The graveyard as a whole did not agree to accept Bod and give him the freedom of the graveyard only after Silas also agrees to be his guardian. Silas, unlike the ghosts inhabiting the cemetery, has access to the world outside of the graveyard and can ensure that Bod is fed and educated. Thus begins Bod’s unconventional upbringing. Despite the circumstances, Bod is a typical boy and that often gets him into trouble. It is just that which teaches him what he needs to know to survive within and without the walls of the graveyard.

I had intended to read Neverwhere as my first Neil Gaiman novel, but when I found myself with a credit at Audible.com and noticed that the author himself narrated The Graveyard Book, I had to buy it. Once it was on my MP3 player, I couldn’t stop myself from listening to it. I couldn’t be more thrilled that book was my introduction. It was alive in place and character. I loved Bod, Silas, Mrs. Owens, Scarlett, and Liza. I even enjoyed the less savory characters Bod meets along the way. One of my favorite chapters was when he meets up with the ghouls. I loved the imagination that went into creating their existence, their means of transportation, and their names: The Duke of Westminster, the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Lord High Mayor of London, and The 33rd President of the United States (poor President Truman – I had to look that up because I had to know). The dialog was equally delightful – not just with the ghouls, but with all of the characters. While I’m sure that the dialog would have stood out if I had read the print version of this book, Gaiman is fantastic in his narration and really brought out the interplay and poetry in his prose.

I cannot say enough about this book. I listened to it on audio as narrated by Neil Gaiman himself. I listened to Bod’s story on my way to and from work and whenever I got a chance in between. I was enthralled by the different worlds I got to explore along with Bod. It really captured my imagination. I looked forward to my time in the graveyard and was very impressed by the author’s narration. In many ways, I think that made the experience for me. To hear the accents of the ghouls, the Owens’, Silas, and Scarlett made them all come to life. I have a print version of this novel as well and I found myself going to it to reread what I had heard that day and getting excited all over again. The ending, in so many ways, was bittersweet for me. I miss Bod, all of his friends, and all of the things to see and explore in his adoptive home. I look forward to the day that my daughters are old enough to listen to this story along with me, not that I think I can wait that long to read The Graveyard Book again for myself. ( )

Reviewed by Claire E. Gross in Horn Book Magazine (Nov/Dec2008, Vol. 84 Issue 6, p703-704) Found review through HW Wilson collection http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta...

As always Mr. Gaiman takes us to an interesting, usually unique world. In this case the Jacks are bad guys, Jack Frost, Jack Ketch, every man Jack of them! Bod is the toddler that escapes an attack by one of the Jacks by toddling into the graveyard and being adopted by a couple of ghosts, and tended by various creatures including a werewolf as well as the ghost of a witch and much more.

He has his adventures within the graveyard and occasionally outside it too. He makes friends, and eventually works to defeat the Jacks. But, and in a wonderfully handled and surprising way, his actions are not without consequence.

Brilliant.

The pictures at the start of each chapter are a delight too. ( )

A great blend of the funny (the tombstones!) and the creepy (that opening sentence!) The chapters had a fairly episodic feel, but each moved the story along as well, and I was surprised to find myself all choked up at the end. I almost really liked the illustrations, since they added nicely to the mood of the book, but any time a character was depicted, the illustrations clashed with the images in my head. I would definitely recommend this to kids who can handle a little creepy. The premise is really great - a boy being raised by a graveyard - and I'm happy to say the execution lives up to the premise. ( )

I'm not going to give this a star rating because I shouldn't have picked it up in the first place. From the description, I thought it was a young adult book but, in fact, it's a children's book, which I can't finish.

There might be an additional tiny problem too - it's a children's book and yet the content seems to be a bit on the mature side -murder, ghosts, graveyards - for children.

The main character is a child, acts like a child and has a child's problems. Since I haven't been one of these for a very long time, I cannot relate to the character, his tribulations, or his "story". I also am not a big fan of ghouls and ghosts doing things just because they would be "scary" for children.

I'm sure a 12 year old would find that it's a great story. If you like suspense, action, or a plot that has events which have a purpose other than to shock or scare children (i.e. to advance the story, perhaps, or to develop a character...) then I'd recommend you find a different book.