Friday, May 8, 2009

The 2009 Newbery Award Winner

Neil Gaiman's book, The Graveyard Book, won the 2009 Newbery Award. If you are an adult, you may already be familiar with American Gods or Ananzi Boys. The Graveyard Book is a book full of adventure, mystery and chills. Jack murders the whole family of the boy later to be known as "Bod", (Nobody) Owens. As an infant on the night his family is killed, Bod wanders into the graveyard, is taken in by friendly ghosts and is even given some of their "powers". Magic powers aside, life can be boring and lonely for a boy raised in a graveyard, and Bod tends to leave at times, (against the rules), and explore other deep, dark places in the graveyard. A few alternating chapters show our villian Jack, still plotting to kill Bod, as he knows he is still alive. Middle schoolers will have no trouble sinking their teeth into this one.

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