The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman- Book Set #5

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book.  New York, NY. Thorndike Press.

Nobody Owens, otherwise known as Bod is a boy who looses his entire family to a man who has killed them all.  As a toddler he fled the scene of the crime only to wind up in a graveyard where he stayed  in the care of ghosts, Ms. and Mrs. Owens and a guardian Silas who is neither alive or dead but somewhere in-between.  He stays here in their safety because Jack (the man who killed his entire family) is still out to get him, but he does not know that until much later in the story.  His life is full of adventures lead by ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves,  an Indigo Man, Night-Gaunts, and The Sleer. He also has some interesting powers that help him that he gains from being raised by the dead.  He has a friendly childhood relationship with a girl named Scarlett who then moves to Scotland.  She returns years later and helps to fight off not one but an entire brotherhood of Jacks who are trying to kill Bod.  After loosing some of his powers, Bod leaves his graveyard  life for real one in the real world.  This plot in this ghost story is full of adventure, excitement and suspense. An array of characters from  the after life become a part of Bod's new life and he grows up knowing the "after life" rather than actual life.  The feelings of lost and alone that come from not knowing his real family can resonate with anyone who has lost a family member or is adopted.The setting and characters are given detailed descriptions to help us imagine a world unknown to us.  This is a fun read for anyone who is interested in the life of the dead.