Richie's Picks: THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave
McKean, HarperCollins, October 2008, 307p., ISBN: 978-0-06-053092-1
"You to me are but a passing breeze." -- Donovan, "Happiness Runs"
"The man Jack paused on the landing. With his left hand he pulled a large
white handkerchief from the pocket of his black coat, and with it he wiped
off the knife and his gloved right hand which had been holding it; then he put
the handkerchief away. The hunt was almost over, He had left the woman in
her bed, the man on the bedroom floor, the older child in her brightly colored
bedroom, surrounded by toys and half-finished models. That only left the
little one, a baby barely a toddler, to take care of. One more and his task
would be done."
But it is an unusually adventuresome toddler who, having been awakened by
the noise downstairs and seeking release from the boredom of cribdom, has
already succeeded in escaping both his crib and the house (through the door that
the man Jack has left slightly ajar). Toddling up the hill through the
thinning fog, the toddler squeezes between iron bars into an old graveyard. And
even though the man Jack tracks the toddler to the graveyard, the killer fails
in his final task due to the intervention of the ethereal inhabitants of the
graveyard. Led by the Owens couple (who have been married in life and death
for more than 250 years), those who call this place home decide to become
protectors, teachers, friends, and surrogate parents to the child, and to
provide him the "Freedom of the Graveyard."
"'It is going to take more than just a couple of good-hearted souls to raise
this child. It will,' said Silas, 'take a graveyard.'"
These good-hearted souls also decide to name him Nobody Owens, Bod for short.
"Rattle his bones
Over the stones
It's only a pauper
Who nobody owns" (epigraph)
Considering that our introduction to the toddler includes details of his
resourcefully pulling a teddy bear into the corner of the crib in order to scale
its high sides, his experiencing a fortuitously soft landing upon falling to
the floor, and his skillfully navigating the stairs on his way out of the
house, it is not surprising to see Bod grow into a bright and equally
adventurous little kid who never hesitates to venture wherever he feels inclined
to
do so -- and is all too successful in achieving his desires. Fortunately, he
has the support system of the many graveyard inhabitants so that he
repeatedly experiences relatively soft landings.
"He decided not to tell anyone what he was planning, on the not entirely
unreasonable basis that they would have told him not to do it."
But which will be the more dangerous expeditions for Bod? Those that take
him from the sanctuary of the graveyard to hellish places where no living
human has gone before, or those that take him from the graveyard into the world
of living humans?
And what of the man Jack who continues to seek his prey?
Being that THE GRAVEYARD BOOK has been available for months, that Neil
Gaiman has done a world tour promoting the book (Check him out on Youtube.), that
the book has spent months on the NYT Bestseller List, and that there are
scores of online discussions regarding the book's many allusions and references,
there might well seem little need for my rhapsodizing about it.
But I cannot help myself. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is just too sweet and exciting
a read for me to keep quiet about. The day I spent reading it (I ate it all
in one sitting.) has been a highlight of my holidays. And when my spring
Nubian goat kids are born, I will be naming the firstborn male after Nobody
Owens.
What makes it so great?
Once again, as with my favorite fantasy characters from years past, a young
hero filled with goodness who cares about his relationships, uses his
knowledge and gifts to battle evil and stand up for the little guy rather than for
the sake of gaining power. The graveyard makes for a unique setting. The
cast of quirky dead (and undead) characters who raise the child are funny and
charming. There is a wealth of danger and adventure and humor.
"It was like every dream of falling he had ever had, a scared and frantic
drop through space, as he headed towards the ground below. Bod felt as though
his mind was only big enough for one huge thought, so, That big dog was
actually Miss Lupescu, and, I'm going to hit the rock floor and splat, competed in
his head for occupation."
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks _http://richiespicks.com_ (http://richiespicks.com/)
Moderator, _http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit)
_http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks_ (http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks)
**************New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making
headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
* LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home