Coraline (Book)

Gaiman, Neil. (2003). Coraline. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.

Interest Level: Ages 9 to 16
Genre: Fiction, Horror
Subjects/Themes: Family, Neighbors, Parallel Universes, Monsters, Talking Animals, Kidnapping

Plot: Coraline has just moved into a new apartment with her very busy parents.  They share the building with two old eccentric ladies who used to be actresses and an old man who used to be part of the circus.  In an attempt to escape her family and boredom, Coraline crawls down a tunnel into a parallel world where she has another mother and another father.  This "other" world is so much more interesting with singing mice, talking cats, and all her favorite things.  Her "other" family tells her she can stay forever, if only she sews buttons over her eyes.  Now her "other" mother, a monster in disguise, has kidnapped Coraline's family in order to force her to stay.  It’s up to Coraline to get them back.

Awards:
ALA Notable Children's Books (2003)
School Library Journal Best Books (2002)
Wisconsin Library Association Children's Book Awards: Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award (2003)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults List (2003) New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age (WINNER)
IRA/CBC Children's Choice (WINNER)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award Masterlist (Vermont) (WINNER)
Publishers Weekly Best Book (WINNER)
Child Magazine Best Book of the Year (WINNER)
Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers (2002)
Hugo Award for Best Novella (2003)

Personal Thoughts: I loved this book, but then I love a lot of Neil Gaiman's books.  Coraline has just the right amount of horror and fantasy that I enjoy.  The story is suspenseful and easy to read.  Even if children have already seen the movie and know the ending, they'll still enjoy reading the book.  If fact knowing there's a happy ending might make this scary book a little less so.  They made this book into a movie in 2009, check out the Coraline movie website for more information.

Other Books by the Author: The Graveyard Book (2008); Interworld (2007); Odd and the Frost Giants (2009);

Author's Website: Neil Gaiman's Journal