The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I've just finished reading this fantastic book, The Graveyard Book. They really tricked me into reading it and by they, I mean Neil Gaiman. He has the first 3 chapters up online for anyone to read. As I was bored the other day, I decided to see what it was all about. Of course, I couldn't stop after just 3 chapters. Trickster, he is.

It begins with triple homicide, though not nearly as gory as one would think. A baby boy's family is killed while he crawls to safety in the nearest graveyard. The boy is promptly adopted by a set of ghosts and a vampire is stationed as his guardian. They protect the boy from the killer and dub him Nobody Owens, or Bod for short. The next few chapters detail his adventures growing up in the graveyard under the protection of the spirits and "otherworldly" creatures who reside there. Obviously, there is a bit of a show-down at the end (Between the graveyard inhabitants, Bod, and the killer).

The ending is both happy and sad. He grows up and figures out what kind of man he will be. Gets to go and pursue all of his dreams, but as with everything it comes with a cost. Excellent, excellent story that I thoroughly recommend to anyone. Some of the danger may be a bit much for smallish ones, but can easily be modified if read aloud at bedtime. Halloween would be an excellent time to share this story. The adventures are really the best part. Each chapter is like it's own little story, but really they are pieces to a puzzle that is revealed at the end.

As it is written for a younger audience, it is a very quick read. Still, have fun with this one.