# The Graveyard Book

**Author:** Neil Gaiman
**Lexile:** 820L
**Grade range:** Grades 5–8
**Age range:** 10–14
**First published:** 2008
**Page count:** 312
**Genre:** Middle Grade Fantasy
**ISBN-13:** `9780060530945`
**ISBN-10:** `0060530944`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-graveyard-book
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Nobody Owens — Bod — is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. Gaiman's 2009 Newbery Medal winner (also Carnegie Medal in the UK) is one of the most popular fantasy texts for the 5-8 grade band and a frequent challenged title in some districts for its supernatural framing.

## Themes

- found family
- the supernatural and the living
- coming of age
- death and grief (gentle)
- identity

## Content notes

- violence (off-page murder)
- supernatural themes
- mild peril

Common Sense Media age recommendation: 11+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · 5th grade — [source: CCSS ELA grades 4-5 fantasy Newbery Medal 2009](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 6th grade — [source: CCSS ELA grades 6-8 fantasy exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)

### Great Stone Face Book Award

- **recommended** · 5th grade · New Hampshire — [source: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.](https://www.librarything.com/award/757/Great-Stone-Face-Book-Award)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · New Hampshire — [source: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.](https://www.librarything.com/award/757/Great-Stone-Face-Book-Award)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · New Hampshire — [source: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.](https://www.librarything.com/award/757/Great-Stone-Face-Book-Award)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · New Hampshire — [source: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.](https://www.librarything.com/award/757/Great-Stone-Face-Book-Award)

### Kentucky Bluegrass Award

- **recommended** · 5th grade · Kentucky — [source: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)](https://www.kasl.us/kba/kba-winners-circle)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Kentucky — [source: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)](https://www.kasl.us/kba/kba-winners-circle)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Kentucky — [source: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)](https://www.kasl.us/kba/kba-winners-circle)
- **recommended** · 8th grade · Kentucky — [source: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)](https://www.kasl.us/kba/kba-winners-circle)

### Newbery Medal

- **recommended** · 3rd grade — [source: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)
- **recommended** · 4th grade — [source: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)
- **recommended** · 5th grade — [source: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)
- **recommended** · 6th grade — [source: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)
- **recommended** · 7th grade — [source: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)
- **recommended** · 8th grade — [source: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbery_Medal)

## Banned / challenged record

Documented removals or formal challenges in at least one school district in 2 states: FL, TX. Source: [PEN America's Index of School Book Bans](https://pen.org/banned-book-list/) 2022-2024.

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