The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen

When a toddler escapes a killer by running into a graveyard, it sparks a lively tale of the dead working to help a living boy survive. Adopted by a pair of dead Victorian parents, the Owens, the boy, named Nobody, has the run of the graveyard and interacts with a wide variety of its residents from the Roman time to close to the present. Each one is identified by the name on his or her headstone and the saying engraved thereon. As Nobody (Bod) grows, he meets humans, ghouls, werewolves and other creatures who come into the graveyard, tries his hand at going to school, and tries to avoid the killer who is still out there hunting him. When the showdown finally comes between Bod and the killer, Jack, his knowledge of all things otherworldly comes in handy. Quirky, creepy, funny and creative, it is a story sure to engage those looking for a great read. Newbery Award winner. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen, with illustrations by Dave McKean. HarperCollins Publishers, 2008.