Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman

Coraline

2002

Coraline’s parents move their family into a Queen Anne style house that has been divided into three flats. With her parents always working Coraline gets little to no attention from them. Isolated Coraline often goes exploring. She meets the other residents, Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible, two elderly women retired from the stage, and an even older man, Mr. Bobo who trains mice to play music. Along with these unusual people Coraline encounters a haughty black cat that she also runs into in another world. When Coraline finds a locked door in the drawing room she has her mom take the key and open it, but it’s bricked up. Coraline goes to it the day after seeing the brick wall, but this time it opens to a dark corridor, which Coraline assumes leads to another apartment. Upon entering it she finds it is close to exactly like her own. And then she meets the other mother and other father. Coraline doesn’t like these people at once. With the help of the black cat and some ghost children, Coraline battles the other mother in a game of exploration, but even if she wins—will she be able to escape?

Pgs 163

Fantasy, Horror

Reading level: Age

Interest level 9-12

-A simple read, good for young adults who want an interesting and near creepy story with simple language.

-I didn’t really like it myself, the language was lacking in depth, but for readers just starting in chapter books, this is a good first pick.