The Graveyard Book

Steps Forward

Are you here?

 

  1. To Be (Public Memories)
    1. Me, You, Us
    2. We Seek
    3. To Care
  2. To Sense
    1. To Make-Sense
    2. To Play with sense-making
    3. Tag the Good, True, and Beautiful
  3. To Will 1  (2)
    1. Engage
    2. Express
    3. Experience

 

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Click the box.

1
 Tell the story to your children.
2
 Read a couple pages a night.
3
 Finish the book.
4
 Circle back to the story another time

Media

 

 

 

Chapter 1 – How Nobody Came to the Graveyard

Interesting Ideas:

  • A chilling first page – Wow! A hand in the dark with a knife. Scary!
  • black shoes – mirror-like, reflecting the moon, enough light to do the deed
  • the crib – a doomed baby trapped in his crib
  • Jack Vs. Silas – Jack’s clothes are dark, but Silas’ clothes  are darker
  • Ghosts – regular ghost vs. ghost who became ghost under shocking circumstances. 
  • The Gray Lady – an awe-inspiring figure
  • Nature: the fog 

Chapter 2 – The New Friend

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters:
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, Scarlett, Carius (a Roman),  Indigo Man, Sleer
  • the graveyard – What can we see, hear and do?
  • specials skills – fading, sliding, and pushing thoughts, hello and goodbye
  • special privileges – access to the whole graveyard and skills
  • mission – to learn letters and learn to read
  • friends – girl and boy, being together, trust
  • opening doors Vs. sliding through doors – using keys or special ability
  • goosebumps – fear is a weapon
  • lost and found – reactions to being lost and found
  • People – parents and police
  • nature: birds, trees, bees, flowers, a
  • history: A roman funeral

Chapter 3 – Hounds of the God

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters:
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, Miss Lupescu, The Ghouls,
  • Teaching Styles – Silas vs. Miss Lupescu
  • New Skills: new languages
  • Food – Silas vs. Miss Lupescu, Ghouls
  • Doorways – Ghoulhiem
  • Dangerous Creatures – The Ghouls
  • Magic Words – Skagh, Thegh, Khavagah
  • Roles in the World – Hounds of God, Ghouls

Chapter 4 – The Witches Headstone

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters:
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, Liza, sleer,  Abanager Bolder, Tom
  • Learning Styles – learning as a ghost vs. the living, old medical system, punishment
  • New Skills: fading, writing, cursing people, wit
  • Elements: water, fire, earth and air
  • Tools – clothes, brooch, paint, paintbrush, paint, paperweight, key, newspaper
  • Food – gin, scotch, apples, poison
  • Door – the back room, shed door
  • Dangerous Creatures – greedy people
  • Magic Item – Jack’s calling card
  • Roles in the World – witches, murders, thieves, executioners
  • Graveyard Rules –  Hallowed Ghost vs. Unhallowed Ghosts

Chapter 5 – The Danse Macabre

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters –
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, The Lady in Gray
    • Patterns and personalities
    • Differences: the living and non living
  • Old Town – an area near the graveyard
  • Season – Winter
  • Specials Skills – dance, song, hypnosis, shoe-tying
  • Mission – to mix and be together
  • Traditions – The Danse Macabre
  • Words – Lyrics to the song
  • Items – flowers that rarely bloom, clothes,
  • Special Privileges – to tune, to forget, to see the dead
  • Longing For – Silas looking at the Lady in Gray

Chapter 6 – Nobody Owens’ School Days

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters –
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, Lisa, Thackeray,
    • Nick Farthing and Maureen Quillings
    • Bullies and The Bullied
    • Teachers, Policemen and the Honor Guard
    • Dreams and peace
    • Violence and control
  • School – Things That happen at school
  • Books – Robinson Crusoe, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
  • Season – Winter
  • Specials Skills – Predatory and Prey, Tit for Tat, Blackmail, Recording and Tracking 
  • Mission – Playing the game, playing the players, safety
  • Items – pocket money, pencil as a weapon, CD, databases, computer, telecommunications
  • Special Privileges – to read, to write, to flip the tables

Chapter 7 – Every Man Jack

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters –
    • A little bit of everyone
    • Bod (14), Silas, The Ownens, Lisa, Thackeray,
    • The Honor Guard and the Jacks
    • Good Vs. Evil
    • Scarlett (15)
    • The Dorians (Bod’s family of 3?)
  • Graveyard – For and against
  • Library – Newspaper articles before the internet
  • Bod’s House – attic, the doors
  • Specials Skills – Predatory and Prey (2), Seek and Find
  • Mission – Full Circles, Being who you need to be
  • Items – weapons, traps, 
  • Special Privileges – Dream walking, Freedom of the Graveyard

Chapter 8 – Leaving and Partings

Interesting Ideas:

  • Characters –
    • Bod, Silas, The Ownens, Lisa, 
    • Garcia Jones (World Traveller), Mrs. Slaughter
  • Graveyard – a locked-up graveyard and an open gate out
  • Specials Skills – Saying Goodbye, Be like Dad
  • Experience – Growing up, kiss a lover, dance a measure, find your name, buried treasure 
  • Items – enough money, roads and paths, passport
  • Mission – Face life with its pain and pleasure with open eyes and open heart