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May 12, 2009

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

It takes a graveyard to raise a child.

That's not really an accurate description of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, this year's winner of the Newbery Medal, but it's the phrase that came to my mind early on in the story.

The Graveyard Book is the story of Nobody Owens, a toddler whose parents have been brutally murdered and who finds protection from harm in a nearby graveyard. As Nobody, known as Bod, grows into a child and a young man, he walks between the living and the spirits, and learns how to use magical powers that most mortals do not possess. He also encounters challenges from which the graveyard cannot protect him, including school, friendship, and the man who murdered his family.

This is a story for older children due to the violent nature of the murder of Bod's family. It should appeal to those who enjoy the Harry Potter series due to its magical nature, as well as Gaiman's knack for creating entertaining characters with whom the reader can relate.

Posted by In Repair at May 12, 2009 05:07 PM

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