Graveyard book

By early 2009 The Graveyard Book written by British-born author Neil Gaiman and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books had spent over 15 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. I hesitated reading the book because I didn’t think I was ready for a spooky fantasy tale in midwinter. But recently I learned that the book was nominated and just won The John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. At that point I knew I had to check it out for myself from our library and start reading. After a few pages I recognized I had a book in my hands from a writer with a gifted imagination for people of all ages to enjoy.

The Graveyard Book revolves around the life of a normal boy, Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, who just happens to be growing up in a graveyard. I understand the theme of this book was inspired twenty summers ago when the author was watching his then two-year-old son ride a tiny tricycle between gravestones. The book starts out when Bod was a baby and tragically his family was murdered in their sleep. Bod amazingly managed to escape a similar death by crawling out of his baby crib, down the stairs and out the open front door. He reached the safety of the neighborhood graveyard where over the years he remained protected and educated by the resident ghosts he can see and a mysterious solitary guardian.

I returned to the book frequently eagerly awaiting whatever new breathtaking adventures young Bod would get tangled up as he slowly matured into a thoughtful and considerate young man. Dave McKean’s dramatic illustrations and Neil Gaiman’s suspenseful cliffhanger chapter endings made for an effective “can’t stop reading” novel. I regretted the book ending so soon and look forward to a sequel.

Review by Ann Zydek

Debating Racism

As many know, February is Black History Month. There are endless names of people you could read about in honor of this month, but there are lots of movies you could see, too. Just the other day I watched "The Great Debaters" starring (and also directed by) Denzel Washington. It looked entertaining - Denzel normally puts on a good show - but I did not expect it to be so moving. I cannot begin to describe how impactful this movie was - by the end of the movie, I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat, shaking - but I have 300 words here to try to interest you in it enough that you go and watch it for yourself!

The movie tells the true story of Melvin Tolson, an African American professor at Wiley College in Texas in 1935. He leads an all black debate team, and they are the best in the state. His dream is to take his team to debate Harvard...but Harvard is an all white university, and the white people of the little Texas community are determined to make sure that this professor and his team "remember their place."

To make matters worse, Tolson is also giving a voice to the share croppers - black and white alike. He recognizes their poverty and lack of education, and organizes rallies for them, trying to inspire change and better working conditions. Most smart men of his social statis and ethnicity would have minded their own business, did what good they could and turned a blind, albeit sad, eye to the attrocities being committed in the name of superiority. But Tolson wouldn't stand for that. He refused to be silent, and neither the threat of prison or lynching could persuade him to keep quiet.

Better yet, he encouraged both the sharecroppers and his students to stand up to injustice. He told of a man named Lynch who used fear to drive slaves out of their minds, so that they would be submissive. He said, "I am here to help you to find, take back, and keep your righteous mind."

So I'll spoil it a bit in hopes that you'll watch it: The debate team does make it to Harvard, without Tolson. But will they be able to use their strong minds to carry their voices? Will they say what so many are leaving unsaid? Will they be able to battle the best?

You'll have to see for yourself!