The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is fantasy novel that follows the story of Nobody "Bod" Owens.  The story starts off when Jack Frost murders the entire Dorian Family except for their young toddler.  The young toddler climbs out of his crib and ends up at a graveyard; where the ghost inhabitants find him.  The Owens family (ghosts themselves) decide to keep the toddler and raise him as their own.  Bod is given Freedom of the Graveyard; which allows him to pass through solid objects that are in the graveyard.  The book mainly follows Bod and his adventures growing up in and out of the graveyard.  Bod's time in school is also explored where he is able to learn supernatural tricks such as Fading, Haunting, and Dream Walking.  We also find out that Jack Frost is still searching for the young boy that he did not kill; because he feels that the boy will cause the end of him and his society, the Jack of all Trades.   This is a fun book for all ages that won the Newberry Medal in 2009.   It is reminiscent of the Harry Potter  books with similar plots but with a supernatural twist.

A book trailer can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5weQLQFp-4o

Teachers can find resources to help them incorporate this book at https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=12845

Readers also enjoyed  Tales from Silver Land by Charles J Finger

After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Additional books written by Neil Gaiman include Stardust and  Coraline. 

Gaiman, N., & McKean, D. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins Pub.