The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
By Neil Gaiman
Harper Collins, 2008, 312 pg., Young Adult Fiction

"Sleep my little babby-oh
Sleep until you waken
When you wake you'll see the world
If I'm not mistaken...

Kiss a lover 
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure...

Face you life
Its pain,its pleasure
Leave no path untaken"

Nobody Owens began his life as a totally normal boy. But soon his life changed. When his family is murdered in their beds Nobody is adopted by a ghost couple in the local grave yard. He is given the freedom of the grave yard and is protected by those who "live" there. A boy who lives in the graveyard has many great adventures, from encountering ancient spirits, to dancing the Macabre, befriending witches, and falling through Ghoul Gates. But someday Nobody will have to meet the  man Jack who killed Nobody's family ... and who still wants to kill Nobody Owens.

There is a reason why this book won the Newbery Award in 2009. Neil Gaiman has crafted a story that is both spooky and heartwarming. This book was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. One thing that I really enjoyed in this book was how much research Gaiman did about death rituals and beliefs throughout history in England. I also enjoyed that this book was spooky and creepy without being grisly horror novel. In fact the only truly bloody part is at the beginning. The Graveyard Book also has some fascinating lessons about life and what gives it meaning. This would be a great book for adults, teens, and some older children who enjoy a good ghost story.

School of the Dead

School of the Dead
By Avi
Harper , 2016, 276 pg., Youth Fiction

Tony never understood Uncle Charlie. Growing up all the cousin's asked "What's the deal with Uncle Charlie?" But, when Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his parents, Tony realizes that Uncle Charlie is really fun. They become best friends. Uncle Charlie tells Tony about the school he went to as a kid, Penda School, in San Francisco. When Uncle Charlie suddenly dies, Tony is left feeling alone and missing his friend. Uncle Charlie left money so that Tony could attend Penda, but there are no openings in the school. Then suddenly a spot opens. However, when Tony gets to Penda he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere - he also starts seeing "the Penda boy," the only child of Mrs. Penda the schools founder. Penda was founded because the Penda boy died. On top of all this Tony soon learns that the real reason he was able to go to Penda was because the boy who had his spot disappeared; but nobody will say what happened to him. Except for the Weird History Club. Tony realizes that if he wants to find out what is really going on at this school that the weird history club, and its leader Jessica, are the only ones who know.

I first decided to read this book because I love Avi's writing. If you have not read anything by him yet - you should. If you have, and you really liked his books, and you haven't read School of the Dead yet - you need to. Avi is a great storyteller, and his book's can be appreciated by all ages. At first I was surprised and disappointed because the story seemed so slow in the beginning, so many details that seemed pointless. I never should have doubted Avi. As the action increased in the book I found myself recalling all those seemingly pointless details. Each detail was designed to create a complex net that pulled tighter and tighter around the main character.  I actually listened to this book on a road trip with my family(Highland Library has this book available in book format, as well as E-Book and E-Audio book through Overdrive/Libby). The narrator for the audio book did a really good job. I liked how he put stress or emphasis on words that really heightened the tension and suspense. Me, my parents, and my teenage sister all really got into the book. We kept pausing to discuss details and predict what happened next. School of the Dead is a fun and suspenseful mystery that is perfect for Halloween.

Parents should know that this does contain elements of the supernatural and deals with death - but not in a graphic way. There is also mild and infrequent swearing.