The Graveyard Book

As a little boy with tousled hair, Nobody—“Bod”—asks lots of questions about the world and how to do things, but most of the ghosts give conflicting answers. He often goes to the chapel at sunset and, when Silas wakes for the evening, asks him instead. Bod wants to know why he can’t leave the graveyard; Silas says Bod’s not yet safe outside. Silas brings easy children’s books to the Owens tomb. He gives Bod paper and crayons and teaches him the alphabet and basic reading by having him learn words on gravestones.

One day, Bod meets a girl in brightly colored clothes; her name is Scarlett Amber Perkins; she’s visiting the cemetery with her mother. Scarlett is a bit older than Bod, but they become friends instantly. She helps him copy down words from gravestones. Scarlett’s parents are both university professors without tenure; they often must move when there aren’t enough students to attend her father’s physics classes. Scarlett’s lonely and enjoys Bod’s friendship.

At home, Scarlett talks about the little boy who lives in the graveyard; her parents explain to her that Bod seems to be an imaginary friend. On sunny days, one of her parents brings her to the cemetery, where she and Bod play games, explore, and climb things.