The Graveyard Book

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Average customer rating 4.9 (16 comments)

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Powell's is great. Now that I live far away, I mostly use it to send books to my grandson. But when in town I always visit because it's a treat.

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Powell's is great. Now that I live far away, I mostly use it to send books to my grandson. But when in town I always visit because it's a treat.

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This is a unique tale that only Gaiman could create. When Nobody (Bod) Owens was a toddler, his entire familiy was murdered. He escaped and found refuge in a graveyard. There he was raised, loved and taught by the ghosts and his guardian, Silas. Soon, Bod discovers that the reason his family was murdered had a much darker reason.

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This is the first book that I've read by Neil Gaiman. It was recommend to me by a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to other people. It takes place in a cemetery, and I love visiting cemeteries. And since reading this book, I look at cemeteries a whole lot differently.

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I know this book won awards and is considered one of Gaiman's best books, but I disagree. I think it's just okay. I could never get invested in any of the characters, so when things got dire, I just didn't care what happened to them. It's fun, just not Real Fun.

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I'm enjoy a lot of Neil Gaiman's work, but this one is by far my favorite. What a wonderful story on how a graveyard raises a child. Even better there's another plot as why they raising the child. I was worried there would be unanswered questions at the end but they were all answered. Such a great story from start to end. I wish this was a movie.

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This is a wonderfully bittersweet coming of age story about a boy named Bod. He is hastily taken in by a graveyard of ghosts after Bod's family is murdered. This book is engrossing, and you won't be able to out it down. The characters brilliantly come to life and the writing allows you to feel as if your in the graveyard with Bod. While Bod's life is anything but ordinary, he is well lived by his ghostly adopted parents, and the other members of the graveyard. The story takes you on a journey of his adventures while growing up; all the triumphs and sadness. I absolutely loved this book, would recommend it for people of all ages, and will definitely read if again.

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A man named Jack murders Bod’s family when Bod is just a toddler. Bod toddled to escape unaware he was escaping or that he was toddling into a graveyard, where the permanent occupants decide to raise him with the help of a guardian who can come and go and bring food and clothing. As Bod grows he has the run of the graveyard,; he even masters some of the skills usually not shared with the living. But eventually he becomes curious about the world outside the gates and seeks to learn more about the land of the living. What he doesn’t know is that the man named Jack never forgets about the baby who got away, and Jack is certain that one day he will find what he’s looking for to finish the job he started. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman has an unlikely start for a children’s book: a family killed for unknown reasons. But this Newbery winning story doesn’t dwell on the details that lead to Bod’s childhood in the graveyard. Instead it tells the tale of a child raised unconventionally, by parents and guardians who are by definition not normal, yet he knows he’s loved and cared for unconditionally. Bod’s adventures both inside and outside the graveyard’s iron gates and stone walls are inventive and intriguing. And his foray into the school system will certainly have some readers wishing they had his skills in dealing with bullies. The action, while somewhat dark and creepy, stays appropriate for young readers without an undue amount of anxiety and tension as the story builds to a climax. Pen and ink illustrations in black and white capture the feeling of the graveyard and its inhabitants. There’s even a bit of history woven into the stories that Bod learns from those who died at different times over the past century. Gaiman’s mastery of storytelling, including some elements of fantasy involving ghouls, ancient creatures, and a long-lived criminal society, makes The Graveyard Book a great choice for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12. I highly recommend it.

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i like ms lupesci beacause she is the dog and she is tring to help bod she likes to take care are of bod and she is very very nice she seemso reepy the first time i read about her it said that she is giving him a thing of foosd and then she says that it looks that she is tring to poision him and it is so os lveere amd it sounds rwallly cool and i just was like is she giong to turn ito the man jack and i ne andut we dont know that she is really tring to help the bod buis why and what i am giving this book and that is wsh y hing that he tt that is why it is a 5 book to me and then the book keeps the readers attention well to the people who listen to it ans]d the people who listen to it is left on the edge on somje of t

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Miss Lupescu (shape shifter), Scarlett (Bod’s first live friend), and Liza Hempstock (deceased witch) are some of my favorite characters. As Bod ages, he learns about ghouls, school bullies, and eventually the man who killed his first family. I love this book for many reasons. Neil Gaiman does an excellent job of showing that not all scary things are inherently evil. Each chapter shows yet another facet of the world of the graveyard and those experiences shape Bod as he grows into a young man. I would jump for joy if Gaiman wrote a follow up novel exploring Bod’s life after this book.

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This is a wonderful book of death, intrigue, love and life. Neil Gaiman writes like a watercolor, the edges of murder and horrors sit at the edge of the story, just out of focus rather than bludgeoning the reader in the way of so many horror writers. Though much of this story is sad, it is truly about being loved and growing up to face your demons.

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What an amazing book!! Neil Gaiman outdoes himself once again, I must say, with this heart-wrenching tale of what happens to a boy, whose parents were killed by a mysterious man, and who is raised by ghosts, in a graveyard. A great book, and one you won't forget!!!

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Hands down, the best book I've read this year. Probably in my top ten of best books ever. Even better is to listen to it as an audiobook, read by Neil himself.

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A great work from a great writer, this story is everything a children's book should be...Sad, magical, sweet. It makes you aware of how hard it is to always know good from bad.

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I read this book to my son and thoroughly enjoyed it. An orphaned baby crawls into a graveyard and is promptly adopted by the ghostly inhabitants. The baby's adventures as he learns all the ways of the graveyard are wonderful as are all of the interesting characters he encounters. As the little one grows up, he learns the differences between living the ghost life and actually being alive. This is a great, great story!

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Neil Gaiman is simply a master story-teller, who has the gift of making the grotesque and macabre poignant and funny. Never miss a chance to hear him read his works, it's magical!