The Graveyard Book

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book? This collection of stories, which was published in 1894, has been adapted into numerous books and films. What does the title suggest it might be about? Why does this work continue to inspire audiences over 100 years after its publication?

Teaching Suggestion: As its title suggests, Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book shares many elements with The Jungle Book: an orphaned human child is raised in a natural setting by creatures that are not really human. One interesting approach to Gaiman’s text is to consider his purpose in paralleling Kipling’s story in this way. This prompt allows you to judge students’ background knowledge about Kipling’s classic text, while the resources below may help fill in any gaps. During your introduction of this prompt, you might wish to explain the term “pastiche” to students and note that the book they are about to read is a pastiche of The Jungle Book.

• The Jungle Book on SuperSummary includes a detailed summary and study guide of Kipling’s collection of stories in addition to background information about the author.
• This 8-minute video features the text and audio of an abridged children’s book version of Kipling’s classic tale.
• This 2-minute video is the official trailer for Disney’s 2016 remake of The Jungle Book.

2. A “bildungsroman” is a novel about a young protagonist’s psychological and moral growth. What is the purpose of this genre? What psychological and moral changes might occur in someone moving from childhood to adulthood? Can you think of any examples of this type of story that you have read, watched, or played?

Teaching Suggestion: The Graveyard Book details Bod’s psychological and moral growth over a period of several years. Although students are unlikely to have prior knowledge of the term “bildungsroman,” they have doubtless encountered this story form in books, videos, and games. This prompt invites them to connect this new term to their pre-existing knowledge. Consider asking students to first draft an answer to the prompt, then revise their initial ideas about the term’s meaning after reviewing the resources below and/or discussing the examples they have already encountered with their peers. You can also extend this discussion by linking it back to The Jungle Book as an example of a bildungsroman.

• This article from TCK Publishing defines the term bildungsroman, discusses the four stages present in most bildungsroman novels, and offers examples.
• This article from Celadon Books explores the origins of bildungsroman and its relationship to the broader term “coming of age.”
• This list from Goodreads includes the “best” books of the bildungsroman genre.

Short Activity

The book you are about to read is written as a series of short stories, most of which take place two years after the story that comes before them. Think about how this format might impact a reader as you complete the following activity.

• Read this article and take a careful look at the photographs it contains. Think about how the pictures make you feel and take note of the ideas that come into your head as you look at the pictures.
• In a complete paragraph, answer the following question: What kinds of ideas might be more powerful when they are communicated this way instead of in a more continuous medium like video or film? How does the passage of time create change?

Teaching Suggestion: Students will either need internet access or a printed copy of the article to complete this activity. After they have finished, you might conduct a brief discussion asking students to make predictions about how it will feel to read a book structured as a series of short stories and what kinds of ideas Gaiman might use this format to convey.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with visual impairments may not be able to complete this assignment as written. A reasonable alternative might be to ask such students to write three paragraphs: one describing a child in a particular environment, another describing that same person in the same environment in their adult years, and a final paragraph that explains what mood and theme the contrast between the first two paragraphs is meant to convey. Literal thinkers and those with limited theory of mind may be unable to imagine what the contrasts between the photographs are meant to convey. These students may benefit from working with a partner on this activity. Alternatively, you might be able to model the assignment and guide students through the process by example.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What do you associate with graveyards, cemeteries, and burial grounds? Are they scary, peaceful, or something else? Is there anything a person can learn from being in a graveyard? What do you think it would be like to live in one?

Teaching Suggestion: Although The Graveyard Book contains elements of horror, it also depicts the eponymous graveyard as something much more complex than a scary setting. This prompt offers students an opportunity to express their own feelings about graveyards and invites them to consider different ways of regarding this setting. Some students may not have much background knowledge on graveyards or cemeteries; to generate interest and encourage engagement, consider describing the difference between graveyards and cemeteries with this resource and/or discussing the history of cemeteries with this TED-Ed video.