The Graveyard Book

About this book

Nobody Owens — Bod — is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered. Gaiman's 2009 Newbery Medal winner (also Carnegie Medal in the UK) is one of the most popular fantasy texts for the 5-8 grade band and a frequent challenged title in some districts for its supernatural framing.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fantasy title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on found family and the supernatural and the living; cited across 4 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

• Common Core State Standards (ELA)

  • recommended·5th gradesource: CCSS ELA grades 4-5 fantasy Newbery Medal 2009
  • recommended·6th gradesource: CCSS ELA grades 6-8 fantasy exemplar

• Great Stone Face Book Award

  • recommended·5th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
  • recommended·6th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
  • recommended·7th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
  • recommended·8th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.

• Kentucky Bluegrass Award

  • recommended·5th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·6th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·7th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)
  • recommended·8th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle (grades 3-5 + 6-8; annual since 1983)

• Newbery Medal

  • recommended·5th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal
  • recommended·6th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal
  • recommended·7th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal
  • recommended·8th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2009 Newbery Medal

Similar grade-level books

• 
  The Diary of a Young Girl
  Anne Frank · 1080L
• 
  The Giver
  Lois Lowry · 760L
• 
  The Outsiders
  S.E. Hinton · 750L
• 
  To Kill a Mockingbird
  Harper Lee · 870L

See all books like The Graveyard Book→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The Graveyard Book?

The Graveyard Book is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 820L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

What is the Lexile level of The Graveyard Book?

The Graveyard Book has a Lexile measure of 820L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.

How long does it take to read The Graveyard Book?

It takes about 5h 45m to read The Graveyard Book (312 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 345 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is The Graveyard Book hard to read for 5th grade?

At 820L, The Graveyard Book falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.

What curricula assign The Graveyard Book?

The Graveyard Book appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Great Stone Face Book Award, Kentucky Bluegrass Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.