It Takes A Graveyard To Raise A Child

Tell us the title: 

The Graveyard Book
Who penned this work?: 

Neil Gaiman.  You're shocked, I know. 

How did this piece find it's way to your nightstand?: 

Powell's had it on sale, and I figured it was time to move on to his children's books
Number of pages: 

313
Time passed from start to finish?: 

2 days
Describe the cover:

 
In what section of the bookstore would a reader find this?:

Children's fiction, Powell's best sellers shelf (even though it was published in 2008)
Summary of the basic plot:

(from the back cover): "Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy.  He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.  There are adventures in the graveyard for a boy -- an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to the abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer.  But if Bod leaves the graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack -- who has already killed Bod's family.
Background information on the story/author:

Neil Gaiman will be the favorite author of my personal lifetime.  Please consider reading everything he has ever written.  Also, The Graveyard Book has won both the Newbery (US) and Carnegie (UK) medals. 
What did you think of it? (your general response, what you liked or didn't like, what you learned, anything else you want to share about it):

Only in Neil Gaiman's world can a story be so dark yet make you laugh hysterically and walk away at the end a better person for the lessons you have learned.  This is the first of his stories I've read that contains illustrations...and I'm not sure how I felt about it.  The illustrations are wonderfully done, but I didn't love the way they altered the images I had created in my head.  This may be a good stepping stone into his graphic novels.
Which page was your favorite? Share why:

Page 206, where Mistress Owens finishes the last lines of her song, one tale ends, and many others begin.
If the story was made into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?

My brain cannot even begin to fathom that.  I can only see the characters in my head, and no actors can do those justice.
Share a quote that was worth reading twice. Explain why:

(from page 70, for the reason that it made me laugh hysterically): 

"Name the different kinds of people," said Miss Lupescu.  "Now."

Bod thought for a moment.  "The living," he said.  "Er.  The dead."  He stopped.  Then, ". . .Cats?" he offered, uncertainly.
Choose your rating:

Changed. My. Life. 

I laughed, I cried, I want you to read it
A definite page-turner
Good to check out but don't spend the cash.
Why did I waste my weekend on this?
A disgrace to paper everywhere

Flip to page 2, 22, or 202. Share the 7th sentence on the page. 

"A screech of brakes as the car stopped, and the ginger policeman began to swear under his breath."