This book is great!! I have a good perspective on what kids whould watch out for. I really enjoyed this book because it is confusing at certain parts in a chapter, then the pieces come together and you get hyped up and want to keep reading it forever. Definitely read this!
The Graveyard Book
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Creepy AND warmhearted -- Gaiman's best yet.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Graveyard Book was written by Matt Berman
Parents need to know that this is mildly creepy with a bit of violence, suspense, and threat, including a man who murders a family and tries to murder a toddler and a teen boy and girl.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about this book and The Jungle Books, which the author says influenced him. What are the similarities in plot and style? How are they different? Do you know of any other "wild child" stories?
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More on The Graveyard Book
Book Summary
On the night Jack murders a family in their beds, their toddler runs out into
the night, pursued by the murderer, and finds his way into a cemetery. The
ghosts there chase away the murderer and, after much argument, decide to raise
the boy. They name him Nobody, Bod for short. As long as Bod stays in the
cemetery they can protect him from Jack, who is still searching for him. But a
growing boy, even one who is granted the Freedom of the Graveyard, eventually
needs contact with the living world -- and it is the world of the living that
holds the most danger for Bod.
Is It Any Good?
It may seem odd to say it, but this is a lovely book. Suspenseful, yes, and a bit creepy, but lovely nonetheless. Author Neil Gaiman has learned a thing or two since his entry into children's books. His acclaimed first novel, Coraline was clever and technically proficient, but lacked heart, as did Stardust. This one has it in spades, and in the strangest places.
Gaiman begins with one of the great opening sentences ("There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife"), and quickly introduces a very relatable protagonist, a boy who grows from 18 months to 15 or so years, increasing his power and confidence but retaining the innocence of one who doesn't know the world. He gives him touching relationships with his ghostly parents and vampiric guardian, and though he has some scary adventures with ghouls and snake-like tomb guards, the graveyard world is never nearly as frightening as that of the living, especially to a boy who has been raised there. By adding a bit of heart and soul to his already brilliant writing, Gaiman has raised his game considerably.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books, Publication date: 9/30/2008
Number of pages: 312, Price: $17.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 9, Read Alone: 10
Number of pages: 312, Price: $17.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 9, Read Alone: 10
Our Members Say
See 18 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Great book for fantasy lovers!!
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Stupid Book
(Written by a kid) IT'S STUPID! I mean, what kind of a story is this? A child named NOBODY goes on adventures starting with the Ghouls of the Graveyard, and some time before some girl he meets is going somewhere else! It's just a bunch of nonsense and no story going on that takes up all your time. I returned it to the library after page 190 or something because I predicted the rest of the story. No, wait, I COULDN'T! BECAUSE THERE'S NO STORY!
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I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
Close up look at living in a graveyard
The only reason I gave it "iffy" was because some children may find it scary. That said, the content is about a graveyard! and those not inclined to such subject matter would probably not pick it up anyway. My daughter age 9 found it a slow start. I was sorry the story ended
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I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Sometimes, has a dark feel, but very charming and satisfying.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
Other than the initial premis of the movie, the story is well told
The Graveyard Book, 2009 Newbery Medal winning novel, by Neil Gaiman is a fantastic read! The story begins as if stepping into a movie, fifteen minutes into the show. The reader soon realizes a family has been slain by a mysterious murderer and the only survivor is a baby! This slaying is not described, more "alluded to". Our eighteen-month-old boy escapes to a nearby graveyard and is taken in by kind spirits of the dead. But everyone in the graveyard is not so kind and accepting of Bod. The adventures are endless, yet some readers may be turned off by hasty endeavors that could have been written with more depth. Readers who enjoyed Rowling’s Harry Potter series will immediately feel a connection with this story. Recommended grades 7-12.
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