Neil Gaiman:"The Graveyard Book"

One of my children has been pestering gently suggesting that I should pre-read this book to see whether I think it is suitable for ds(13) for sometime!
Finally during these holidays I found time(!) to do so. I am glad I did. As with the previous book by the same author"Coraline" I found this one hard to put down.

In both the author's use of words is a delight! I don't have Coraline with me to quote but the opening chapter of that just begs to be read aloud,even if you only read it to yourself!! And both Master 9 and 13 have had it read to them. However I am still uncertain whether Master 13 should read the rest of that title and I certainly don't intend to recommend it to Master 9 until he is considerably older...it is  just too darn scarey!

      The beginning  of "The  Graveyard Book" made me feel quite the reverse. My thoughts as I scanned each succeeding paragraph of chapter one went something like"hmmm and this is a book recommended for children?!! well I'll have something to say about that!"And so if you feel tempted to pick up this book for yourself or to pre-read for your darling offspring (and I hope you will!) be warned: the book keeps getting better and better! What do I mean by that? Well simply that while chapter one is more than slightly sinister, the analysis of friendship,loyalty,honour and truth as they are described throughout the plot are so wonderful that you would be as much an egg-head as I nearly was if you sopped reading after Chapter One.

For this is a book about heroes, about counting the cost and being willing to pay the cost if its called for, about honorable acts and loyalty to ones friends. In short it is one of the most absorbing book for older children I have read for a long time. But don't just take my word for it,read it yourself and then please come back and leave a comment!