The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a massively talented author. He’s responsible for some of the best graphic novel work of recent times – Sandman – and for some incredible novels like American Gods, Anansi Boys, and Stardust. He’s turned his attention to children’s literature of late, with The Wolves in the Walls, Coraline, and the, amazingly, Newberry Award winning Graveyard Book.

If I seem a little astounded he won the Newberry, it has nothing to do with his talent, and everything to do with everything Gaiman writes is kind of... well, creepy. Gaiman is at his best when the world his characters inhabit is off kilter from the one we inhabit, filled with monsters, darkness, and magic, and forces better left alone, even if they are also filled with wonder. I’m astounded that he’s a successful children’s writer at all, let alone a Newberry award winning one.

So what about the book for which he won? It’s an interesting tale. A child with a murdered family is raised by the ghosts and other supernatural residents of a graveyard-turned-nature preserve. It is based, thematically, on The Jungle Book, replacing the animals with the ghosts etc. Indeed, the supernatural setting allows for things to make slightly more sense than they might have otherwise, Bod (the child) exhibits odd bits of supernatural powers at times, picked up from those raising him.

It’s creepy. It’s sad. It’s meant to be. Gaiman would be no more interested in writing a happy-go-lucky everything is fine story about rainbows and unicorns than you would be in eating glass. If it has a failing, it is merely that we don’t learn quite enough about the forces that are gathering against Bod before the ultimate confrontation with them, so things can feel a little rushed and a little empty.

Is it Gaiman’s best work? No, not really. American Gods far outstrips this story, and even among his kids' books, Coraline is probably more interesting. That said, even the worst Gaiman story is better than 90% of the stuff out there, and this is not Gaiman’s worst work either.

The only warning is know what your children can handle. If they can handle some supernatural, if they can handle a little violence, if they can handle some scares, then they will enjoy this. If they don’t like such things, this won’t be the book for them. And like the very best children’s literature, this should hold a place on an adult’s bookshelf as well. - Reviewed by John