The Graveyard Book

Written by Neil Gaiman · Illustrated by Dave McKean

A boy raised by ghosts must face dangers beyond the graveyard.

7.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 570,496 ratings

354 pages· 67,418 words· Est. 7.5 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

In a graveyard, Bod, a boy raised by ghosts, learns ancient secrets and ghostly skills. But beyond the cemetery's safety, the man Jack, who killed his family, awaits. Can Bod navigate the living and the dead's worlds, facing both wonders and perils? As he grows, Bod must confront his past and the threats that lurk outside his spectral home. Will he find his place among the living, or will the graveyard's mysteries consume him? Discover Bod's journey in a tale where the boundaries between life and death blur.

From the publisher

The original hardcover edition of a perennial favorite, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which has sold more than one million copies and is the only novel to win both the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal.

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?

The Graveyard Book is the winner of the Newbery Medal, the Carnegie Medal, the Hugo Award for best novel, the Locus Award for Young Adult novel, the American Bookseller Association’s “Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book,” a Horn Book Honor, and Audio Book of the Year.

Awards

Newbery Medal (2009)Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor (2009)Carnegie Medal for Writing (2010)Cybils Award (2008)

At a glance

Format
Pages: 354
Words: 67,418
Reading age: 10–14
Audience: Young Adult
Lexile: 820L

Themes & topics

Books about cemeteries Books about orphans Books about ghosts Books about self-discovery Books about murder

What readers & critics say

Reviews

7.0

out of 7

7.0

“Neil Gaiman's fantasy style is fast-paced, engaging, and charming, and this book is a delight to read aloud or alone. The story is equal parts fun and poignant, and the overarching messages are great. I can't wait for my kids to be old enough that I can share this favorite with them.”

Lauren Hancock

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one