The Graveyard Book is a young adult novel written by the English author Neil Gaiman, simultaneously published in Britain and America in 2008.

[6] Gaiman first had the idea for the story in 1985, after seeing his then-two-year-old son Mike "pedaling his tricycle around a graveyard"[7] near their home in East Grinstead, West Sussex.

Recalling how comfortable his son looked there, Gaiman thought he "could write something a lot like The Jungle Book and set it in a graveyard".

It is with her that Bod discovers a creature called the Sleer, who has been waiting for thousands of years within a prehistoric barrow for his "Master" to come and reclaim him, along with the treasures he guards: a knife, a goblet, and a brooch.

Silas temporarily leaves the graveyard 'to obtain some information', and Miss Lupescu arrives to take care of six-year-old Bod in his absence.

Bod is then tricked by the Ghouls, a race of corpse-eating creatures that live in an alternate dimension accessed by a special grave called a Ghoulgate.

Silas returns, and it is revealed that he and Miss Lupescu are members of the Honour Guard, devoted to protecting "the borders between things".

[14] In 2014, HarperAudio published a full-cast audiobook edition performed by Derek Jacobi (narrator), Robert Madge (Bod), Clare Corbett, Miriam Margolyes (Mrs. Owens), Andrew Scott (the Man Jack), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Silas), Emilia Fox, Reece Shearsmith, Lenny Henry, and an ensemble cast.

[15] The Graveyard Book was cited by the American Library Association for its "delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing", noting its "magical, haunting prose".

[8] The New York Times's Monica Edinger was very positive about the book, concluding: "In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment".

[17] Author Patrick Ness wrote, "what's lost in forward momentum is more than made up for by the outrageous riches of Gaiman's imagination" and praised the villains.

[20] In 2013, a blogger recommended The Graveyard Book for children, describing the premise as "staggeringly original" and the structure "satisfyingly episodic".

In May 2010, CJ Entertainment, associated with Chris Columbus's 1492 Pictures, acquired the rights for distribution in Korea and Japan and agreed to co-finance the adaptation.

[29] In April 2012, Walt Disney Pictures acquired the rights and hired Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the film adaptation of Gaiman's novel Coraline, to direct The Graveyard Book.

[32][33] In July 2022, Marc Forster was attached to direct the feature film adaptation with Renée Wolfe, Gil Netter and Ben Brown set to produce, and David Magee writing the script.

[35] In September 2024, it was reported that the production had been halted due to a variety of factors including sexual misconduct allegations against Gaiman.