The Graveyard Book - Discussion Questions

 In your discussion groups, please answer 5 of the 10 discussion questions. Choose a member of your group to record your answers. Make sure you list the names of students who participate so they receive credit as well. [When discussing, try to be specific. Use the book and reference chapters, characters, passages, page #'s, etc.]

1. Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean are frequent collaborators. How do McKean's illustrations contribute to your reading of the story? Why do books include pictures? Are books better with pictures? Why or why not? 2. There is a rich tradition of orphans in children's literature, as well as a tradition of child-of-destiny themes in fantasy literature. The Graveyard Book is also a book about growing up. Discuss how Bod fits squarely into these categories. 3. The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock? What do these characterizations suggest about human nature? Which characters are truly evil? What does Gaiman seem to be suggesting about the nature of evil in this book? 4. At the close of the novel, Mrs. Owens sings about embracing the human experience: "Face your life / Its pain, its pleasure, / Leave no path untaken" (Chapter 8). How does this theme resonate throughout the novel? 5. "A graveyard is not normally a democracy, and yet death is the great democracy" (Chp. 1). How is death the great democracy? How does Gaiman explore the relationship between the dead and the living? 6. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. How does the graveyard come together to raise this particular child? Describe the special mentoring relationships that Bod has with Silas and Miss Lupescu. 7. Boundaries—between the living and the dead, the graveyard and the world—are an important part of the novel. How does Bod test these boundaries? What are the consequences of Bod's actions? How do teenagers (like yourselves) test boundaries? What are your consequences for crossing boundaries? Discuss. 8. Bod's human interactions are limited to a short-lived friendship with Scarlett (chp. 2, 6 & 7) and a brief stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us? 9. How does The Graveyard Book compare to Gaiman's first novel for young readers, Coraline? What are some similarities and differences in the plot, characters, writing style, etc.? 10. Like much of Gaiman's work, The Graveyard Book manages to fuse elements of humor, horror, fantasy, and mystery into a single story. Identify examples of these genres and elements. Discuss how they work together. How might the story read differently if one or more of these elements were removed?