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Whispers in the Graveyard
Solomon finds refuge in the graveyard from his problems with his father, his teachers, and himself, until the workmen disturb the site and a terrible force comes to life.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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369 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Breslin
90 books96 followersTheresa Breslin is a Scottish author of over 50 books, known for her contributions to children's and young adult literature. She won the Carnegie Medal in 1994 for Whispers in the Graveyard, which tells the story of a dyslexic boy overcoming personal struggles. Born and raised in Kirkintilloch, Scotland, she started writing as a teenager and later worked as a librarian before becoming a full-time author.
Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.
Her works often explore historical and social themes, as seen in Divided City (2005), which addresses sectarianism in Glasgow, and The Medici Seal (2006), a historical novel featuring Leonardo da Vinci. Her book Prisoner of the Inquisition (2010) was shortlisted for another Carnegie Medal.
Breslin has received numerous accolades, including the Scottish Book Trust's Outstanding Achievement Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. In 2019, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 21, 2016
I was very disappointed after finishing this book, and I don't know on what grounds it won the Carnegie Medal.
In short, it deals with too many plots and genres at the same time, not taking any of them seriously.
It starts as a realistic novel, describing the desolate situation of a boy trying to cope with severe dyslexia. But the author adds too many problems. His mom has left, his dad is an unreliable alcoholic, his teacher an unbelievably one-dimensional bully. Out of the blue a new young teacher appears, sees the problem and sets out to set it straight. This alone would be a problematically shallow approach to serious childhood issues, but now a real ghost story is added. And it is not a story taking place in the boy's head to help him cope with his life (as A Monster Calls successfully does), no, it is a real, graveyard-situated ghost story with ancient treasures, curses, illnesses and sudden deaths, it is something that all characters experience together, grown-ups and children alike. No convincing reason is given why this ghost story is included in the plot to make the main character confident enough to tackle his problems. The different stories just happen. There is a curse, children are threatened, but they survive. So what? Solomon decides to work on his dyslexia. Wow, big surprise. His dad might start going to alcoholics meetings. Ok. The wondrous teacher leaves because she is so good (after a week or two), that she gets a promotion. The little child that is saved in the graveyard doesn't fill any function at all after that episode. Why is she there in the first place then?
No recommendation if you want a story that makes sense on an emotional and structural level.
In short, it deals with too many plots and genres at the same time, not taking any of them seriously.
It starts as a realistic novel, describing the desolate situation of a boy trying to cope with severe dyslexia. But the author adds too many problems. His mom has left, his dad is an unreliable alcoholic, his teacher an unbelievably one-dimensional bully. Out of the blue a new young teacher appears, sees the problem and sets out to set it straight. This alone would be a problematically shallow approach to serious childhood issues, but now a real ghost story is added. And it is not a story taking place in the boy's head to help him cope with his life (as A Monster Calls successfully does), no, it is a real, graveyard-situated ghost story with ancient treasures, curses, illnesses and sudden deaths, it is something that all characters experience together, grown-ups and children alike. No convincing reason is given why this ghost story is included in the plot to make the main character confident enough to tackle his problems. The different stories just happen. There is a curse, children are threatened, but they survive. So what? Solomon decides to work on his dyslexia. Wow, big surprise. His dad might start going to alcoholics meetings. Ok. The wondrous teacher leaves because she is so good (after a week or two), that she gets a promotion. The little child that is saved in the graveyard doesn't fill any function at all after that episode. Why is she there in the first place then?
No recommendation if you want a story that makes sense on an emotional and structural level.
January 5, 2023
I honestly do not really understand how (and why) Theresa Breslin was awarded the 1994 Carnegie Medal for her middle grade ghost story Whispers in the Graveyard (and that indeed some of the Carnegie nominees for 1994 I have read such as in particular Michael Morpurgo's Arthur High King of Britain are in my opinion vastly superior to Whispers in the Graveyard). For honestly, Breslin features in Whispers in the Graveyard (and in a short, choppy and majorly unflowing writing style that I for one can only actively despise) far too many and often even rather adversarial and contradictory plots and genres at the same same time and with the featured text thus at times even seeming almost inadvertently ironic and satiric, as Theresa Breslin's multiple story threads, themes and genres for Whispers in the Graveyard are not only majorly outline-like and feel more like a brainstorming exercise, in a supposedly finished and completed novel this also feels like nothing is actually taken sufficiently seriously (and with the literary mish-mash encountered in Whispers in the Graveyard also leading to multiple plotlines which frustratingly and annoyingly equally seem move and meander all over the place without really ever successfully and believably intersecting, mixing, and not to mention not coming to any decent conclusions either, or perhaps more to the point moving towards an ending for Whispers in the Graveyard that in fact makes little to no common sense and frustratingly unbelievable).
And yes, every part of Whispers in the Graveyard both my inner child and also my adult self have generally only found annoying, unrelatable and simply majorly textually frustrating. For while Theresa Breslin begins Whispers in the Graveyard as a realistic novel (describing the desolate struggle of main protagonist Solomon trying to unsuccessfully cope with severe dyslexia at school), the author gives her young readers far too many problems and which are also simply thrown at them like some huge shopping list but never really in any manner actually and truly examined (with Solomon's mother having left, his father being an alcoholic, most of Solomons's teachers being described and depicted as unbelievably one-dimensional bullies, and new teacher Mrs. Talmur then appearing like a deus ex machina heroine, immediately noticing Solomon's learning issues and basically at once staring to successfully remedy and fix his dyslexia), leaving a feeling of extreme textual shallowness for Whispers in the Graveyard and with in my opinion every presented character (including the main protagonist, including Solomon himself) not at all fleshed out and just existing and acting within Theresa Breslin's text like undeveloped and thin cardboard cutouts.
But while Theresa Breslin's problematically on the surface and totally lacking both thematic and descriptive substance approach to serious childhood issues in Whispers in the Graveyard is already a huge reading problem for me and definitely makes me not at all consider Whispers in the Graveyard as Carnegie Medal material (its award of the latter notwithstanding), what has actually made me rate Whispers in the Graveyard with only one star (instead of two stars) is that the (and strangely real and actually textually occurring) ghost story (with resident evil, witchcraft, curses etc.) is not only much too creepy (at least in my opinion and for my inner child) for a middle grade novel (and also once again annoyingly on the surface and lacking any kind of verbal death) but how the ghost story is added by Theresa Breslin to the realistic parts of Whispers in the Graveyard is so inadequate that basically there are two separate stories being presented by Breslin, with neither really being related to each other, with both being annoyingly shallow, and with Whispers in the Graveyard therefore reading like both a terrible realistic novel and also equally a terrible ghost story, one that has left me hugely and totally textually annoyed (and only this) and indeed to the point that I am in fact very glad that I did not try to purchase a copy of Whispers in the Graveyard but was able to read it for free on Open Library (and that yes, for me most definitely, the 1994 Carnegie Medal being awarded to Theresa Breslin and her Whispers in the Graveyard is in my opinion most definitely a rather epic and massive failure).
And yes, every part of Whispers in the Graveyard both my inner child and also my adult self have generally only found annoying, unrelatable and simply majorly textually frustrating. For while Theresa Breslin begins Whispers in the Graveyard as a realistic novel (describing the desolate struggle of main protagonist Solomon trying to unsuccessfully cope with severe dyslexia at school), the author gives her young readers far too many problems and which are also simply thrown at them like some huge shopping list but never really in any manner actually and truly examined (with Solomon's mother having left, his father being an alcoholic, most of Solomons's teachers being described and depicted as unbelievably one-dimensional bullies, and new teacher Mrs. Talmur then appearing like a deus ex machina heroine, immediately noticing Solomon's learning issues and basically at once staring to successfully remedy and fix his dyslexia), leaving a feeling of extreme textual shallowness for Whispers in the Graveyard and with in my opinion every presented character (including the main protagonist, including Solomon himself) not at all fleshed out and just existing and acting within Theresa Breslin's text like undeveloped and thin cardboard cutouts.
But while Theresa Breslin's problematically on the surface and totally lacking both thematic and descriptive substance approach to serious childhood issues in Whispers in the Graveyard is already a huge reading problem for me and definitely makes me not at all consider Whispers in the Graveyard as Carnegie Medal material (its award of the latter notwithstanding), what has actually made me rate Whispers in the Graveyard with only one star (instead of two stars) is that the (and strangely real and actually textually occurring) ghost story (with resident evil, witchcraft, curses etc.) is not only much too creepy (at least in my opinion and for my inner child) for a middle grade novel (and also once again annoyingly on the surface and lacking any kind of verbal death) but how the ghost story is added by Theresa Breslin to the realistic parts of Whispers in the Graveyard is so inadequate that basically there are two separate stories being presented by Breslin, with neither really being related to each other, with both being annoyingly shallow, and with Whispers in the Graveyard therefore reading like both a terrible realistic novel and also equally a terrible ghost story, one that has left me hugely and totally textually annoyed (and only this) and indeed to the point that I am in fact very glad that I did not try to purchase a copy of Whispers in the Graveyard but was able to read it for free on Open Library (and that yes, for me most definitely, the 1994 Carnegie Medal being awarded to Theresa Breslin and her Whispers in the Graveyard is in my opinion most definitely a rather epic and massive failure).
January 10, 2022
Simon kan niet goed mee op school. Zijn leraar pest hem voortdurend. Ook op persoonlijk vlak heeft Simon het moeilijk. Zijn vader is aan de drank en zijn moeder heeft hen verlaten.
Om alleen te zijn, verschuilt Simon zich dikwijls op een oud kerkhof. Maar dan beginnen er rare dingen te gebeuren op het kerkhof. Er worden werken uitgevoerd om de rivier te verleggen. Graven zullen worden weggehaald en de oude lijsterbes wordt gekapt. Simon ziet dit met lede ogen aan. Ook ontdekt hij dat op een stuk grond waar niets wil groeien, een heks begraven is.
Simon ontmoet een nieuwe lerares. Ze merkt dat er iets is met Simon, ontdekt dat hij dyslexie heeft en neemt hem onder haar hoede. Simon moet nu bij de kindjes gaan zitten die net leren lezen en schrijven. Hij heeft het daar wel wat moeilijk mee, maar er is een klein meisje, Amy, die direct met hem bevriend raakt en Simon wordt ook erg op haar gesteld. Dan blijkt dat Amy ook door het kerkhof aangetrokken wordt.
Op het einde wordt het verhaal wel wat griezelig, en je weet niet goed wat nu de fantasie van de kinderen is of de werkelijkheid. (Of hoe de fantasieën in werkelijkheid geïnterpreteerd kunnen worden).
Geen slecht boek. Ik denk dat het zeker in de smaak zal vallen bij de doelgroep.
Om alleen te zijn, verschuilt Simon zich dikwijls op een oud kerkhof. Maar dan beginnen er rare dingen te gebeuren op het kerkhof. Er worden werken uitgevoerd om de rivier te verleggen. Graven zullen worden weggehaald en de oude lijsterbes wordt gekapt. Simon ziet dit met lede ogen aan. Ook ontdekt hij dat op een stuk grond waar niets wil groeien, een heks begraven is.
Simon ontmoet een nieuwe lerares. Ze merkt dat er iets is met Simon, ontdekt dat hij dyslexie heeft en neemt hem onder haar hoede. Simon moet nu bij de kindjes gaan zitten die net leren lezen en schrijven. Hij heeft het daar wel wat moeilijk mee, maar er is een klein meisje, Amy, die direct met hem bevriend raakt en Simon wordt ook erg op haar gesteld. Dan blijkt dat Amy ook door het kerkhof aangetrokken wordt.
Op het einde wordt het verhaal wel wat griezelig, en je weet niet goed wat nu de fantasie van de kinderen is of de werkelijkheid. (Of hoe de fantasieën in werkelijkheid geïnterpreteerd kunnen worden).
Geen slecht boek. Ik denk dat het zeker in de smaak zal vallen bij de doelgroep.
October 14, 2007
To be honest I didn't know which shelf to put this on. We had to read it in Middle School. It's a faint attempt at a horror novel, but to be honest it just ended up being a twitching mess. I didn't like it at all.
April 23, 2020
This was a garbage version of A Monster Calls.
May 21, 2017
I read this book as a young kid, maybe ten years ago or more, and it really stuck for me, but as per I forgot the title and spent ages looking for it. I finally found it a couple years ago but hadn't got round to re-reading it, but I'm so glad it did. No wonder it stuck for me so long! This book is terrifying and creepy, and perfectly paced, I'm going to make sure every kid and every kid near me read it!
January 3, 2020
I had a list of books to choose from when it came to teaching a novel for my new year 7s come September. I was intrigued by this blurb and read it in one sitting while in the airport in Sweden. It made my cry and is such a creepy page turner despite being written for a much younger reader... I can’t wait to teach this because lovely dyslexic and troubled Solomon is a character all kids should be exposed too and I adore his story.
April 23, 2020
I don’t even want to write a review...I don’t have words.
November 6, 2014
A great, creepy little read with important stuff to say about bullying and learning to face up to your problems.
Solomon doesn't have it easy. He's dyslexic, and his struggles at school are made worse by a bully of a teacher. Life at home isn't easy either - Solomon's mum walked out a while ago and his Dad is often out of work and tends to go on benders. Solomon has one refuge - the local graveyard. But then workmen come to remove an old rowan tree. Solomon discovers that rowan trees were traditionally planted to ward off evil spirits, and once the rowan tree in his graveyard is removed, some very creepy things start to happen.
I really liked the history that went into this book, all the little details about burial practices and the smallpox epidemic, etc, it was really interesting.
I also loved the honest portrayal of a kid/teen with learning difficulties and how frustrating Solomon finds it.
'Whispers in the Graveyard' is also delightfully creepy for a book whose target audience I'd guess to be about 11-13ish.
I remember reading this book as a kid, and recently picked it up again. I think I enjoyed it even more this time around.
Solomon doesn't have it easy. He's dyslexic, and his struggles at school are made worse by a bully of a teacher. Life at home isn't easy either - Solomon's mum walked out a while ago and his Dad is often out of work and tends to go on benders. Solomon has one refuge - the local graveyard. But then workmen come to remove an old rowan tree. Solomon discovers that rowan trees were traditionally planted to ward off evil spirits, and once the rowan tree in his graveyard is removed, some very creepy things start to happen.
I really liked the history that went into this book, all the little details about burial practices and the smallpox epidemic, etc, it was really interesting.
I also loved the honest portrayal of a kid/teen with learning difficulties and how frustrating Solomon finds it.
'Whispers in the Graveyard' is also delightfully creepy for a book whose target audience I'd guess to be about 11-13ish.
I remember reading this book as a kid, and recently picked it up again. I think I enjoyed it even more this time around.
February 14, 2013
This book was OK, but not as good as I expected. I loved her other novel, The Inquisition, but this was not as gripping. Having said that, there are some great images and lovely descriptive phrasing. This book is aimed at younger children as well (maybe 10-13). The children in the year 8 class I read it with seem to really like it.
December 29, 2017
This book was okay. Not that fond of saying Dyslexia isn't a disability: "It's difficulty, not a disability." Those words mean the same thing. Disability is not a dirty word.
I wrote a proper review on my blog.
I wrote a proper review on my blog.
July 10, 2016
An interesting read but like others have said rather too many things going on and the ghostly / evil goings on rather dilute or confuse the message. Not sure it is a worthy winner of the Carnegie Medal.
October 20, 2019
I couldn’t even get two chapters in. Nothing is clear. In seven pages it tried to cleverly cram as many different things in as possible, but it just resulted in nothing making sense. Bravo to those who understood and finished it.
February 21, 2009
This is a nice "scary" book that isn't too scary for elementary. That's a tricky thing to do. I keep looking for those since we have lots of elementary students that want scary books.
November 13, 2017
This was started by my 2nd year high school pupils before I took the class. They hated it. I found it tedious too. Did not finish.
November 8, 2024
It's a children's book!
I got this book as part of a box of mystery books from this website called kitabey.com
I have no idea why an adult would read it. It took me back to my Enid Blyton days.
Nevertheless, I finished the book - somehow.
There are so many things that just do not make sense and that do not click. Why does the kid's teacher derive so much pleasure by bullying him? It's comical how the teacher is described as some high school bully. Why are these little kids, 11 year old and a five year old, being pulled into a graveyard and into investigating ancient ghost stories by their teachers? It makes no sense that a teacher would say to a kid that they found some interesting bit about a witch.
Don't even get me started with the parent-teacher interaction described in the book which goes on and on and on for pages.
May be it's a good kids book but definitely not recommended for adults.
I got this book as part of a box of mystery books from this website called kitabey.com
I have no idea why an adult would read it. It took me back to my Enid Blyton days.
Nevertheless, I finished the book - somehow.
There are so many things that just do not make sense and that do not click. Why does the kid's teacher derive so much pleasure by bullying him? It's comical how the teacher is described as some high school bully. Why are these little kids, 11 year old and a five year old, being pulled into a graveyard and into investigating ancient ghost stories by their teachers? It makes no sense that a teacher would say to a kid that they found some interesting bit about a witch.
Don't even get me started with the parent-teacher interaction described in the book which goes on and on and on for pages.
May be it's a good kids book but definitely not recommended for adults.
February 2, 2022
I had one of those nostalgia moments recently, remembering a segment of a book I read in my tweens and wanting to go back to it. When I saw "Whispers in the Graveyard" in a book sale, I was pretty sure I had found it. Sadly, it turns out, I had not, but still nice to revisit a previously loved book regardless.
Re-reading as an adult, the themes of dylexia and a difficult home life were well done. Sadly, the main spooky plot I had chosen the book for in my younger years was less so, with the conclusion coming across a bit rushed and messy (especially the mirror part? That seemed to come a bit out of the blue.)
Not a bad novel, but I remember Breslin's "The Dream Master" much more fondly.
Re-reading as an adult, the themes of dylexia and a difficult home life were well done. Sadly, the main spooky plot I had chosen the book for in my younger years was less so, with the conclusion coming across a bit rushed and messy (especially the mirror part? That seemed to come a bit out of the blue.)
Not a bad novel, but I remember Breslin's "The Dream Master" much more fondly.
October 16, 2022
Libro poco noto in Italia (un peccato) che racconta della diversità e di come accettarla, fin da ragazzini. Solomon è un ragazzino dislessico, che vive solo con il padre alcolizzato. È arrabbiato, frustrato, viene costantemente preso di mira da da un insegnante e l'unico posto in cui si sente in pace è il cimitero di una vecchia chiesa scozzese. Solo che non proprio tutto è silenzioso, perché Solomon ad un certo punto avverte dei sussurri, e mette le mani su uno strano forziere...
June 8, 2018
Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο το έχω απο την εφηβεία μου και αποφάσισα να το ξαναδιαβάσω καθώς δε το θυμόμουν. Διαβάζοντας το σ’αυτή την ηλικία δεν μπορώ να πω πολλά, διότι είναι φανερό πως αφορά νεότερες ηλικίες.
Παρολαυτά, αν εξαιρέσω το κομμάτι της «μαύρης μαγείας» και του «κακού», περνάει κάποια όμορφα μηνύματα σε ότι αφορά τον χαρακτήρα του Σόλομον που έχει μαθησιακές δυσκολίες.
Παρολαυτά, αν εξαιρέσω το κομμάτι της «μαύρης μαγείας» και του «κακού», περνάει κάποια όμορφα μηνύματα σε ότι αφορά τον χαρακτήρα του Σόλομον που έχει μαθησιακές δυσκολίες.
February 11, 2019
Read this with my Year 7 class. They enjoyed it very much, but I did feel the ending got a little far fetched. The issues in dyslexia were current and I enjoyed the idea that Solomon's battle was not 'solved' by the end. Recommended for 11-13 year olds, or adults, like myself, with an interest in YA.
October 5, 2023
Solomon is dyslexic, but his teachers think he is inattentive and stupid. A primary grade teacher discovers his problem and she begins to work with Solomon.
At the same time, graves in the town's graveyard are being relocated, and, in the process, an evil spirit is set loose.
A 1001 Children's Book YMRBYGU.
At the same time, graves in the town's graveyard are being relocated, and, in the process, an evil spirit is set loose.
A 1001 Children's Book YMRBYGU.
March 3, 2019
it was bad let me read the book
April 5, 2022
Loved this when I was little, great to read again and still find so enjoyable.
March 17, 2023
5.2
I couldn't understand why a ghost story was put together with a real story and not focusing on one thing and this led to distraction in the plot despite the good characters in the book!
I couldn't understand why a ghost story was put together with a real story and not focusing on one thing and this led to distraction in the plot despite the good characters in the book!
August 21, 2025
this was messy. to many plotlines, many of them for no reason, Unfinished, unimportant etc. the teacher leaving after 2 weeks lol
March 11, 2017
This book is about a boy with dyslexia. His teacher bully's him and he often skives off school and hides in a graveyard. He sits u der a rowan tree. But he didn't know that rowan trees were planted to ward off evil.
October 18, 2016
I remember reading this in Year 6 (depressingly, 16 years ago...). It was a real step up from anything we'd read before (hearing my teacher reading the words "pain in the bloody arse, that's what I'd call it" was a highlight - naughty words!), so I had to read it again.
Solomon, the main character, still draws the same sympathy. Alcoholic dad, bullying teacher, struggling with his learning issues at school. A brilliant narrative follows his everyday problems, and delights when solutions look like they have been found. All the while, though, the 'ghost story' that runs parallel with Solomon's daily problems just doesn't quite fit. The story of Solomon's life alone would have made the book worth reading, but the supernatural events that happen throughout just don't seem to add anything - it's like the author decided half way through that this should be a fantasy/supernatural story, causing events in the second half of the book to spiral into the unbelievable. This only serves to take the shine off of what was a gritty, slightly shocking but very readable real life story. It is still very much worth a read though - who knows if you'll encounter a Solomon in a classroom in the future? Someone understanding and caring can make a whole lot of difference...
Solomon, the main character, still draws the same sympathy. Alcoholic dad, bullying teacher, struggling with his learning issues at school. A brilliant narrative follows his everyday problems, and delights when solutions look like they have been found. All the while, though, the 'ghost story' that runs parallel with Solomon's daily problems just doesn't quite fit. The story of Solomon's life alone would have made the book worth reading, but the supernatural events that happen throughout just don't seem to add anything - it's like the author decided half way through that this should be a fantasy/supernatural story, causing events in the second half of the book to spiral into the unbelievable. This only serves to take the shine off of what was a gritty, slightly shocking but very readable real life story. It is still very much worth a read though - who knows if you'll encounter a Solomon in a classroom in the future? Someone understanding and caring can make a whole lot of difference...
August 12, 2022
The writing, descriptions and vocabulary were exceptional so I'm sad to say the book was disappointing. Reading about this boys home life and school life was probably the most interesting part. I found the book wasn't always very clear. Additionally, the sentences were crafted to make it tense too much of the time so when there were more tense or more important parts they got a little lost and had less impact. I was also quite bored when the book was at it's climax.
Read
May 20, 2014When I read it at school, I though it was a amazing book which made my heart beat. I don't want to give anything away but... There is a 12 yr old boy named Solomon who has Dyslexia (That's all I'm saying). Anyway, I thought it was a really good book which puts lots pictures to mind and leaves you on many cliff-hangers.
See Ya All Lat3r with another book review :) Skye out x
See Ya All Lat3r with another book review :) Skye out x
December 7, 2014
Solomon struggles with undiagnosed dyslexia and an alcoholic father, taking refuge in a local cemetery, or kirkyard. But when the town decides to disinter the cemetery residents, a noxious and evil presence is unleashed that will change Solomon and his father. Fun facts about medieval Scottish cemeteries are included as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews