The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2009 Newbery Medal Winner

Hear this tragic tale: a sleeping family, a talented murderer, and an adventurous toddler-----orphaned, but not assassinated. Small and alone, by accident and luck he escapes the scene of the crime and climbs a grassy hill to safety. At the top of the hill the boy finds a fence, and on the other side, a dark , quiet place...... The Graveyard is a sacred place and well tended by its various attendants. It is quiet and homey, and there are worse places by far where a boy might grow up. Here and there lurk dangers unexpected and perils uncharted by the living.