The Graveyard Book

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. NY: HarperCollins.

About the Book

Nobody Owens came to live in the graveyard as a small child. He was adopted by the inhabitants of the graveyard because his family was murdered. Silas his guardian helps protect him from the killer Jack. Bod is in danger from the Jack who wants him dead. The ghost try to help keep him safe but in the end fate always catches up with you. He fights the man Jack and eventually must enter the world of the living leaving behind his graveyard family.

Fantasy Evaluative Criteria

Setting – The author describes the graveyard throughout the story as Bod moves around the graveyard experiencing its wonders. When Bod is sucked into the Ghouls world and is lead to Ghulheim with a few Ghouls. The descriptions of his adventure and the scenery of the Ghoul world helps the reader to see, hear and feel like they are there. The author does a great job helping the reader visualize the world from Bod's perspective when he is in the graveyard and outside of the gates in the town.

Theme – The graveyard is keeping Bod safe from the man named Jack who wants him dead. The story of Bod growing up parallels the life of any other boy or girl. The author has him experience life and emotions of a normal child, but his life journey takes place in the graveyard. The author expresses great emotions at pivotal points in Bod’s growing up. He learns life lessons about people and situations. The author also gives the reader a peek into the past with each of the different inhabitants of the graveyard. When Bod meets them the reader learns a little about the time in which they lived.