The Graveyard Book
#1504.15 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2008 Reading commitment Low Neil Gaiman Last reviewed 2026-08-06
Overview
Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book (2008) follows Nobody 'Bod' Owens, an orphaned boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered, across 8 chapters each set 2 years after the last. An unusually cross-category award record followed, spanning children's literature and genre fiction alike: the Newbery Medal, the Carnegie Medal, and the Hugo Award for Best Novel, all in the same publication cycle.
Dark fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Graveyard Book (2008) core · 4.15 (570,490 ratings); A single continuous novel told across 8 chapters, each set 2 years after the last, following an orphaned boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard. No sequels or companion works exist in this specific continuity, unlike American Gods -- registered as a single-work universe (same category as The Once and Future King, Uprooted, Spinning Silver, Ysabel).
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Graveyard Book? The Graveyard Book's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Graveyard Book finished? Complete (2008).
- How much reading does The Graveyard Book take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Graveyard Book ranked? #150 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 570,490 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #150?
Ranked #150 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.15 across 1 core book.
- Backed by 570k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #149, Crowns of Nyaxia (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 1 book · Complete · 570k ratings · Ranks #150 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Newbery Medal, 2009: won: The Graveyard Book
- Carnegie Medal, 2010: won: The Graveyard Book
- Hugo Award (Best Novel), 2009: won: The Graveyard Book
- Locus Award (Best Young Adult Book), 2009: won: The Graveyard Book
Related universes
- Same author American Gods: Both by Neil Gaiman. Deliberately distinct universes sharing no characters, setting, or continuity.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.15 across 570,490 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Graveyard Book admitted as a single-work universe accepted 2026-08-06
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Rule: Core = the 1 novel, registered as a single-work universe (same category as The Once and Future King, Uprooted, Spinning Silver, Ysabel) since it is one continuous story with no companion works or sequels in its own continuity. No Expanded Canon.