The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I must have been hiding under a rock or something, because I'd never even heard of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book until it won the Newbery Medal in January. Of course, after hearing about it, I had to get it. A variation of Kipling's Jungle Book, but the orphan boy is raised by ghosts in a graveyard instead.

The first time I read it, I just sat and read the book through in one sitting. It's a quick-paced, smooth-flowing story that makes for an ideal afternoon of escapism. I loved how each chapter was an episode in Bod's life, that would be ideal reading for reluctant readers. The second time I read The Graveyard Book, I began to appreciate the richness of the language and the vivid descriptions of scenery, characters, and action. It was even better the second time.

I give it a B.