This book is SO unique. It is the "Jungle Book" only set in a grave yard. I read it with my 9 year old. A really fun special thing to do with this book is to watch/listen to the author read it online because Neil Gaiman read one chapter at each publicity stop on his tour for this book so if you go to his website you can watch him read the entire book. He's very emotive and a wonderful to listen to. As we read the book we discussed issues that would come up--bravery, moving out on your own when you are grown, why the ghosts had different views of life (because of how much customs changed from when the different ghosts were alive), etc. This is a very engrossing fun book to read for the adventrue of the story but it also encourages imagination because it is so unique a take on what *can* happen. It was fun to have my daughter talk about "what if ..." afterward and make up little short stories of her own. There is some violence right off. However, it is not described merely you are told that it happens. So, it is left to the reader's imagination to fill in how bloody or horrible the scene is. (Which I prefer, excessive description is unnecessary.) GREAT book.

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.

I read this myself first before giving it to my 11yo daughter. We both really enjoyed it. I was slightly unsure in the first chapter as this is quite scary (family being killed by a man with a knife) and the pictures in the edition I have were quite scary. But as it went on it turned into a great story about how a boy turned into a good adult and was able to make the right choices, despite a clearly unusual and difficult upbringing. I liked the message that even people who might not appear to be ideal role models(ghosts/vampires etc) can still provide good advice and education. I would far rather my children read this than the other vampire / horror books that seem to be going around the school - sufficiently cool and "scary" to keep them happy, but actually quite safe and positive in message. It was also a nice fast and easy read.

I think that this book sends a positive message about growing up and being your own person. Bod has tough choices to make... but in the end he seems to make the right ones. Sometimes the life we are dealt is not a pretty one, but this book shows how one boy was able to make the best of it The story is a little scary in places but not too extreme.

I'm reading this to my 8.5 year old boy. I find myself having to explain what words mean at an average rate of 2-3 per page. He seems to like the story, we're just through chapter 3. But I do think it's above a *typical* 9 year olds comprehension level.