The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009 Newberry Medal Winner

I don't know if I am getting more squeamish, or if books are getting more graphic...

Between The Graveyard Book and the Underneath (my next title to review), I am beginning to think I am losing my edge. I expect something weird and off the wall with Gaiman, but he does realize he is writing for kids, doesn't he?

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story, but I'm just not sure if I would hand this to a younger reader.

Within the first chapter, Nobody Owens--or "Bod" for short--is the sole survivor when his family is brutally murdered. An ancient group of men has marked him for death, and the only way he can survive is to hide from "the man Jack" in a forgotten graveyard.

The ghosts take Bod under their wing, and raise him as if he were there own. He encounters Romans that came to England during the invasion, his "parents" are from a century past, and gains much of his advice from a forgotten poet. Bod's adventures grow as he does, and they culminate in a final battle against the man who has pursued him since he was a baby.

While very lyrical, this book gets quite intense. Beware to all that are squeamish--the first chapter is fairly bloody. There are many light moments in the story, but Gaiman is able to keep the suspense tightly under control even in those moments. My favorite part of the story is the Danse Macabre--where the living and the dead come together in one night to dance and revel. I burned right through this section.

Parents and teachers, please proof this one before you hand it off to the kids. Like I said, it is definitely not for the sensitive child. However, if you have a Goosebumps loving, scary-movie watching, imaginative kid, you may consider this title. Bravo to the ALA for considering this title at all, let alone giving it the top honor.