: Bod is cared for by Silas , a mysterious, non-ghostly guardian who provides him with food and protection, and Miss Lupescu , a strict tutor who is later revealed to be a "Hound of God" (werewolf).

: Years later, the "man Jack" returns to finish his mission. Bod must use the skills he learned from the dead to defeat Jack and his organization, the Jacks of All Trades.

: The ghosts of the graveyard, led by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, decide to adopt him. He is granted the "Freedom of the Graveyard," which allows him to move through solid objects and see in the dark.

: After defeating Jack, a 15-year-old Bod begins to lose his supernatural abilities as he matures. Silas gives him a passport and money, and Bod finally leaves the graveyard to experience life in the world of the living. Key Themes The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman | Goodreads

: The story opens with a man named Jack murdering Bod's family. The infant Bod unknowingly crawls away from the scene and into a nearby graveyard.