THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. 2009. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. Illustrated by Claire Rickfield.Voice by Neil Gaiman. Harpercollins: new York. ISBN 978-0060530945.
PLOT SUMMARY
The story begins in an unlikely night, where a baby boy is able to not only get out of his crib, but to crawl down the streets of London to a nearby cemetery. While the child is able to elude his own murder at the hands of the man Jack, thanks in large part to two ghosts (Mr. and Mrs. Owens) and a guardian, Nobody Owens spends the rest of his childhood in the protection of the graveyard. He is able to maneuver through the graveyard like a ghost, fading and slipping through the walls of crypts. Bod, as he is called by his ghostly friends grows and learns with the help of the ghosts around him. He does make a human friend named Scarlett, who discovers the wonders of the hidden parts of the graveyard when they are very young, and returns later to help him vanquish the Jacks who wish to do him harm. His enemies inevitably find young Bod, and attempt to kill him so that he does not fulfill the ancient prophesy that states he will be the ruin of the brotherhood of Jacks of All Trades. His guardian, Silus along with a few others seek to help Bod in his destiny. In the end, Bod cannot remain living in the graveyard when he reaches adulthood, and he says a tearful goodbye to his ghostly friends and family to venture out into the world.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story focuses on the eccentric life of a young boy growing up in the craziest of all settings, a graveyard. Neil Gaiman artfully crafts a tale that pulls at the heart strings and causes one to laugh at the sweet innocence of childhood. The tale is told from a third party perspective, however, the feelings and thoughts plaguing the main character are recited in the careless tone of an adolescent boy. The setting is the central focus of the tale, and the plot is the background noise. Gaiman describes the various aspects in a graveyard: a ghoul gate, those buried in unconsecrated ground, and the buried treasure of an ancient people. The adventures of bod within the graveyard and even outside of it (like in school or at the pawn shop) are more of the focus in the tale than the major plot, which is the murder of his family and the hunt for him to finish what they started so many years before.
Gaiman’s morbid setting is oddly fanciful and fun-loving. It sweeps the reader into a story of adventure and fantasy, as opposed to the expected prose of death and sadness. It just goes to show that books are not always what they appear to be. While the cover and title itself exudes a tale of morbidity, there is actually much more about family, friendship, help in time of need, and sticking up for others and yourself in the face of danger. It is truly a remarkable tale!
Gaiman’s voice is perfectly crafted for narrating this somber setting and fantastical characters. He is able to easily switch character voices without much effort. The story would not be the same without hearing his rendition. Also, the music played at the beginning and ending of each disc effectively aids the transition and is quite enjoyable to hear when reading a book that is playfully morose as this one.
BOOK EXCERPT(S)
Winner of 2009 Odyssey award for excellence in audiobook production
“His voice ranges from silky to gravelly and gruff to sharp-edged. Those who enjoyed Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002) will be eager to hear his inspired reading of this novel.”Booklist
“THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by turns exciting and witty, sinister and tender, shows Gaiman at the top of his form. In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.”New York Times Book Review
“Like a bite of dark Halloween chocolate, this novel proves rich, bittersweet and very satisfying.” Washington Post
“Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. This needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child.” Kirkus Reviews
CONNECTIONS
It is a wonderful book to engage children in the differences and wonder of the fantasy genre. Perhaps, the educator could introduce other similarly quirky books to open up the eyes of young readers to alternate settings that are at once familiar to them as places they have seen, yet have never given much thought to discussing. They could even look at pictures of places throughout town that are mysterious, like broken down buildings, cemeteries, and old churches, and write a small fantasized tale.
Other great books by neil gaiman:
Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere. Isbn 978-0060557812
Gaiman, Neil. Stardust. Isbn 978-0061689246
Gaiman, Neil. AMERICAN GODS: A NOVEL. ISBN 978-0060558123
THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zusak, Markus. 2006. THE BOOK THIEF. Performed by Allan Corduner. Alfred A. Knopf (Publisher): Australia. ISBN 978-0375842207.
PLOT SUMMARY
Liesel is a young girl who watches her younger brother die before her eyes and is given up for adoption to the Hubermans to never see or hear from her mother again. It is not only a tale about Liesel, it is a story about the lives of those around her, her adoptive parents, her friend Rudy, Max the Jewish son of World War I friend of Hans Huberman, and the mayor's wife, as well as all of the later dead people on Liesel's street in Mulching, Germany during the 1930s - '40s. It is about all the oppression and evil of Nazi Germany from the perspective a young girl, whose parents were Communists. The tale is narrated by the omniscient presence of Death, and chronicles Liesel's life from the train ride to the first book she steals and to the final one that Death gives back to her, which is the one that she wrote herself.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is the most gripping and heartwrenching tales I have ever read or listened to. The tale is quite sad, however, as it should be given the horrible mass murder and oppression doled out by the Nazi Party and Hitler himself. Zusak masterfully captures the anxiety and feelings of dread permeating the citizens of Germany at that time, especially those who had the misfortune of being Jewish. The friendship forged between unlikely characters both young and old brings a tear to the reader's eye. It is even more difficult to hold back the cascade of tears when the death of innocent friends and family members litter the pages like rubble after a bomb has been dropped. The reader cannot help but cry out at the injustice of it all, which reveals how masterfully Zusak has captured all of the elements of this time period and setting.
Corduner speaks with the voice of Death as if he is as timeless as the element itself. His raspy, deep voice unflinchingly describes the chaos and death within the pages. It reverberates through the ears all the way to the bones. I hear his voice when I envision the death of Rudy and Hans Huberman and his wife, as well as the march of the Jewish people through the streets of Mulching. Words are truly the most powerful form of weapon. Zusak's words and the manner in which they are delivered by Corduner haunts me...
BOOK EXCERPT(S)
"The Book Thief is unsettling and unsentimental, yet ultimately poetic. Its grimness and tragedy run through the reader's mind like a black-and-white movie, bereft of the colors of life. Zusak may not have lived under Nazi domination, but The Book Thief deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel's Night. It seems poised to become a classic."
- USA Today
"Zusak doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but he makes his ostensibly gloomy subject bearable the same way Kurt Vonnegut did in Slaughterhouse-Five: with grim, darkly consoling humor.”
- Time Magazine
"Elegant, philosophical and moving...Beautiful and important."
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred"This hefty volume is an achievement...a challenging book in both length
and subject..." - Publisher's Weekly, Starred
CONNECTIONS
This book is definitely unsettling, but it does provide the reader with an accurate view of the evil and corruption of the past. Perhaps, it would be a good idea to have children write their own stories about their personal lives or just a fictional fantasy they dream up. Teachers and librarians could make a program where kids can do this and provide them with covers and binding materials to make their own books.Other great books to read:
Lowry, Lois. THE GIVER. ISBN 978-0385732550
O'Dell, Scott. ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. ISBN 978-0547328614
Zusak, Markus. I AM THE MESSENGER. ISBN 978-0375836671
RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE by Dean and Shannon Hale
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hale, Dean and Shannon. 2008. RAPUNZEL’SREVENGE. Ill by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury, U.S.A. ISBN 978-1599902883.
PLOT SUMMARY
The story of RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE revamps the traditional tale into a colorful and vivid tale with a western twist. Rapunzel begins her life in a beautiful Villa living with“Mother Gothel” who is actually an evil sorceress, and surrounded by servants and an imperviously high wall. When she meets her “real” mother expectantly one day outside of the villa, Rapunzel remembers the event of her kidnap by the evil witch. She chooses to rebel against her captor, who casts her into a magically made tall tree that resembles the traditional tall tower. As she escapes the tree by using her abnormally long hair as a lasso, Rapunzel begins her journey of revenge to save her mother and get back at the queen. She runs into a fellow outlaw and soon companion, Jack, who shares in her comical adventures along the way towards the ultimate goal of freeing all of the mine slaves.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is a witty and sassy take on the traditional tale of RAPUNZEL. The authors create a heroine that doesn’t just remain docile while she is thrust into a tall tower to spend all of her waking days waiting until a gallant young prince arrives to save her. The Hales provide the audience with something more, adventure and courage. The young girl is quick on her feet and does not let such blatant wrongs as slavery and kidnap go unanswered. It offers all children, especially young girls with a positive role model and message that they should take charge, not letting men or old witches decide their fates.
The fantastic art by Nathan Hale (no relation, by the way, to the authors) is amazing and eye catching! The only problem with the art is it takes longer to read the novel because the reader is consumed with looking at all of the masterful drawings. Some of the word bubbles are also hard to follow due to the fact that one cannot tell sometimes where the conversation begins and ends. The caricatures pair perfectly with the jaunty storyline!
BOOK EXCERPT(S)
2009 Leah Adezio Award for Most Kid-Friendly Work
ALA Notable Children’s Book
Cybils Award
Indiebound Next Pick
YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens
YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
“The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after.” – School Library Journal
“Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.” - Booklist
CONNECTIONS
Educators and librarians should focus a month or a few class times on the artistry and literary mastery of graphic novels. Perhaps children could pair up together having one write the story and the other draw the cartoons to go with it.
Other great graphic novels:
Hale, Dean and Shannon. CALAMITY JACK. ISBN 978-1599903736
Kibuishi, Kazu. THE STONEKEEPER (AMULET, BOOK 1). ISBN 978-0439846813
George, Jessica Day. TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE. ISBN 978-1599906447
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