The Graveyard Book | Middle Grade Fiction

DESCRIPTION 

IT TAKES A GRAVEYARD TO RAISE A CHILD.

Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy—an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger!

The softcover 10 Year Anniversary edition of The Graveyard Book includes a foreword by Margaret Atwood as well as sketches from the illustrator, handwritten drafts, and Neil Gaiman’s Newbery acceptance speech. 

This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween to teen readers in grades 5, 6, 7 & 8. Originally written for ages 10 to 13 years, this book, however, has won awards for 4th grade readers through early high school readers interest level simply because of a really great storyline and has won many, many awards over a span of FIVE years! That’s impressive. A book your elementary school child, middle school child and high school child will all enjoy. Ummm, Family Night Book Club anyone!

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

The Graveyard Book, a modern classic, is the only work ever to win both the Newbery (US) and Carnegie (UK) medals.

• Cybils | Winner | Fantasy/Middle Grade | 2008
• Booklist Starred Review | 2008
• Horn-Book Magazine Starred review | 2008
• Kirkus Book Starred Review | 2008
• Newbery Medal | Winner | Children's | 2009
• Carnegie Medal | Winner | Children’s | 2009
• Audies | Winner | Children’s 8 to 12 | 2009
• L.A. Times Book Prize | Finalist | Young Adult Literature | 2008
• L.A. Times Book Prize | Finalist | Young Adult Literature | 2008
• Indies Choice Book Awards | Winner | Young Adult Fiction | 2009
• Locus Award | Winner| Young Adult Fiction | 2009
• Audies | Finalist | Suspense | 2009
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards | Honor Book | Fiction & Poetry | 2009
• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens | Recommended | Ten to Fourteen | 2009
• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books For Children and Teens | Recommended | Audio | 2009
• Hugo Award | Winner | Novel | 2009
• Midwest Booksellers' Choice Award | Winner | Children's Literature | 2009
• Great Stone Face Book Award | Nominee | Grades 4 - 6 | 2009
• World Fantasy Award | Nominee | Novel | 2009
• Isinglass Teen Read Award | Nominee | Grades 6-8 | 2009 - 2010
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award | Nominee | Children's | 2010
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award | Winner | Grades 6 - 8 | 2010
• Delaware Diamonds Award | Nominee | High School | 2009 - 2010
• Golden Archer Award | Nominee | MiddleSchool / Junior High | 2010
• Greenaway Medal | Nominee | Illustrator | 2010
• Volunteer State Book Award | Nominee | Young Adult | 2010
• Garden State Teen Book Award | Winner | Fiction | 2011
• Evergreen Young Adult Book Award | Nominee | Young Adult | 2011
• Grand Canyon Reader Award | Nominee | Tween | 2011
• Sequoyah Book Awards | Nominee | Intermediate | 2011
• Young Reader’s Choice Award | Intermediate / Grades 7 to 9 | 2011
• Nene Award | Nominee | Children's Fiction | 2012
• Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award | Nominee | Grades 6-8 | 2012
• Golden Archer Award | Nominee | Middle School / Junior High | 2013
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award | Nominee | Grades 4 to 8 | 2013
• Sunshine State Young Reader’s Award | Nominee | Grades 6 to 8 | 2013
• A #1 New York Times Bestseller spent 61 weeks in the top 10 beginning in 2009

DETAILS

• The Graveyard Book
• Written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean.
• Published by Harper Collins, October 1, 2008.
• Ages 10 years and older
• Middle Grade Fiction, Genre: Fantasy/Magic
• Hardcover: 1.3" H x 8.1" L x 5.8" W (1.0 lbs) 368 pages
• Softcover: 1.1" H x 7.4" L x 5.1" W (0.78 lbs) 368 pages

PRAISE FOR THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

“This is, quite frankly, the best book Neil Gaiman has ever written. How he has managed to combine fascinating, friendly, frightening and fearsome in one fantasy I shall never know, but he has pulled it off magnificently - perfect for Halloween and any other time of the year.” (Diana Wynne Jones, author of The Chronicles of Chrestomanci)

“I wish my younger self could have had the opportunity to read and re-read this wonderful book, and my older self wishes that I had written it.” (Garth Nix, author of The Abhorsen Trilogy)

“After finishing The Graveyard Book, I had only one thought ― I hope there’s more. I want to see more of the adventures of Nobody Owens, and there is no higher praise for a book.” (Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels)