The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

• Genre: Fiction; Fantasy
• Originally Published: 2008
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 820L; Grades 6-9
• Structure/Length: 8 parts; approximately 320 pages; approximately 7 hours, 43 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The novel follows Nobody "Bod" Owens, a boy who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts after his family is murdered. Bod's upbringing is unique, as he learns ghostly skills and navigates the border between the living and the dead. However, danger lurks beyond the graveyard, as the man who killed his family still seeks him. The central conflict revolves around Bod's journey of self-discovery, his desire to understand his past, and his confrontation with the forces of evil.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Murder and violence; loss of family; bullying; themes of death, confronting evil, and the supernatural

Neil Gaiman, Author

• Bio: Born 1960; British author known for his works in fantasy, horror, and children's literature; The Graveyard Book is inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book; acclaimed for his unique storytelling style and imaginative worlds; a prolific writer of graphic novels and comics; contributed to literature, television, film, and other media; explores the boundaries between reality and the supernatural
• Other Works: Norse Mythology (2017); The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013); Coraline (2002); American Gods (2001); Stardust (1999); Neverwhere (1996); Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett, 1990)
• Awards: Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2008); Newbery Medal (2009); Hugo Award for Best Novel (2009); World Fantasy Award (shortlisted, 2009); Carnegie Medal (2010)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Family, the Ones Who Love You
• The Loneliness of Unusual People
• Life is for Living

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on The Jungle Book and the bildungsroman genre to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Graveyard Book.
• Read/study short paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Family, the Ones Who Love You, The Loneliness of Unusual People, and Life is for Living.
• Demonstrate their understanding of Gaiman’s use of pastiche by reimagining one of the chapters of The Graveyard Book in a new setting.
• Analyze the significance of literary elements of the novel, such as structure, setting, characterization, plot detail, personification, and epigraph, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.