Gaiman’s ‘Graveyard’ gets Newbery Medal

New York, January 27: Neil Gaiman has received the John Newbery Medal for making the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature with ‘The Graveyard Book.’ Picture: Get original file (10KB) Full Article: "I am so wonderfully befuddled," said the best-selling author on winning the top honor in writing, on Monday. The novel revolves around a boy who is raised in a graveyard by a vampire, a werewolf and a witch, after his family is killed in the very beginning of the story. Although spooky, Gaiman claims his book is more about the "community and the nature of family." The author, known for his works of science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels and the ‘Sandman’ comic series, was more than delighted at the recognition his work received from the American Library Association. "I never really thought of myself as a Newbery winner,” he said. “It's such a very establishment kind of award, in the right kind of way, with the world of librarians pointing at the book saying, `This is worthy of the ages.' And I'm so very used to working in, and enjoying working in, essentially the gutter." According to the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the ALA, Gaiman’s work is a “delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing.” Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, Gaiman’s book made it to the New York Times best-seller list for children’s chapter books, and remained there for 15 weeks. Since the book was already popular with the audience, Gaiman was astounded at receiving the award. “There are books that are best sellers and books that are winners,” Gaiman said. “Very often, the world of award judges, and I think rightly, use their magical judging powers to try to bring books to the attention of the world that might not have otherwise been noticed.” The idea for ‘The Graveyard Book’ hit Gaiman more than two decades ago, when he watched his son, Mike, pedal his tricycle in a Sussex churchyard, among centuries-old gravestones and thought, "You know, he looks really at home here." 71,000 copies of the book have already been sold, according to Nielsen BookScan.