Coraline

Reader reviewed by Chaellee

Despite I am always aware of the age group a book I pick, it never ceases to annoy me when there isn't any substance to a book. That's probably the only complaint I have about this book. I first saw this book in my teacher's book cart when I was in 3rd grade, and boy did it freak me out. I read it for the first time, now an 8th grader, not 3 weeks ago. I had already seen the movie, and so I was intrigued.

After reading, I wish I could have read it when I was younger. The frightening characters, while childish to the older crowd, will definetly scare younger readers.

Final line-Fun, Spooky for youngsters, 4/5

Reader reviewed by Crimin

Coraline Jones is an explorer, shipped off to a new place with lots of stuff to find and even more stuff that is hidden.  For instance, theres a pair of actresses who live on the ground flat who tell Coraline tales of their stage-life, while their canine-companions .  And above, theres an old man - one Mr. Bobo - who has a circus instrument-playing mice.  Its all quite fascinating - but Coraline isnt at all happy with the chilly summer days and the blankets of gray mist.  Lucky for her, her other mother has just opened up the door to a new realm - a place that Coraline can explore to her hearts content.

Neil Gaiman is a new author for me to read - Ive heard of some of his books, such as The Graveyard Book (which I want to read)  -  and I really only picked up Coraline because I saw its movie counterpart and loved every haunting moment.

Now, keep in mind - Coraline is a childrens book, so the writing isnt as descriptive or as in depth as one might like, but its okay, buffered by the audience aim.  It was a good read though - and a quick one as it only took me a few hours to thumb through the entire book.

It wasnt as good as the movie, in my opinion, but still worth the time to read it.  For there are quite some differences.    

Reader reviewed by Misty

This is an interesting book because I can honestly say I haven't read
it before. I know that sounds obvious, but with kid's books, they can
all blend together and lack originality, and this did not. I think that
was partly because Gaiman didn't try to hold back and keep it gently
creepy, kid appropriate. This is a genuinely creepy book, with a girl
who is held hostage basically by her "other mother" who is certainly
not human, and wants to sew black buttons into her eyes, and who
devours souls. The main character has a nice, distinct voice, and the
book is easy to read (age appropriate) without being dumbed down. As I
am a quote person, here are some of my faves, which give a good insight into this book:



"Small world," said Coraline.

"It's big enough for her," said the cat. "Spiders' webs only have to be large enough to catch flies."



"She kept us and fed on us until we've nothing left of ourselves, only snakeskins and spider husks."



"I swear it," said the other mother. "I swear it on my own mother's grave."

"Does she have a grave?" asked Coraline.

"Oh yes," said the other mother. "I put her in there myself. And when I found her trying to crawl out, I put her back."



The sky was a robin's egg blue, and Coraline could see trees and,
beyond the trees, green hills, which faded on the horizon into purples
and grays. The sky had never seemed so sky, and the world had never
seemed so world.

Reader reviewed by GRgenius

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like looking out of a mirror as opposed to into one?  Such is the topsy-turvy reality Neil Gaiman creates in the story of Coraline.  The title characters name is a twist upon itself, which is your first sign that things are not always as they seem.  Coraline is an adventurer; braver than most, but slighter than many.  Size does not equal strength, kindness, or cunning though, when faced with evil.  Longing for an escape from the hum-drum of everyday life, she follows a doorway to nowhere&..on this particular day, however, nowhere leads to a somewhere one would only hope to dream and never experience.  In this other world, everyone and everything appears the same and yet different.  Her other mother is especially affectionate, wanting nothing more than to feed her and play games.  Coraline cant quite put her finger on it, but something there is just&.wrong.  What evil lurks behind their shiny button black eyes?  Coraline feeling none to uneasy decides to return home after her visit only to discover her parents are missing!  She knows in her heart that her other mother has them, and she knows where she must go to bring them back.  Mustering all the strength a child can hold, she sets out on an adventure she will not soon forget with her only ally, a familiar, although sarcastic, black cat from her own world, guiding the way.  Will this be enough to stop the evil lurking in the shadows?  What other secrets are being held just out of her reach? You can be sure Coraline will uncover it all and more.

Definitely recommend the book as opposed to the movie....happy reading!

Reader reviewed by Lisa

in a sentence or so: Coraline
discovers a very mysterious room that leads to a very mysterious place
that so closely resembles her home that she is almost fooled into
staying there forever. almost...

Coraline loves to explore. she
is quite good at exploring too. she loves to explore in the flat where
she lives with her mom and dad, chat with her neighbors (the former
actresses) and she's unsure about the man upstairs who claims to have a
mouse circus in the making. busy parents and long days leave Coraline
feeling bored, and that is when she discovers a door that leads to her
other mother - who isn't quite what she seems...

i was inspired to read this book due to the movie that just came out, and due to the recognition that Gaiman has been getting for The Graveyard Book. i wasn't sure what to expect or what the story would be like. for those of you who are like me - i'll
tell you. expect creepy, crawly, creative, spooky, thoughtful, and
courage. the story is honestly scary at times - mostly because Gaiman crafts such a vivid mental image of the other world and things that happen are downright freakish.

something i adore about fantasy/fiction for young adolescents/upper elementary is the simple acceptance of the unknown.
little time is spent rationalizing what happens, much time is spent
with the "what to do now". Coraline's perception of the events balanced
the outrageous with thoughtful problem-solving. she is determined and
sweet, making her someone that the reader roots for immediately.

this
book was a fun, scary, and spooky adventure. there is some serious
depth to what happens to Coraline and the people she meets. Coraline's
character, combined with the powerful imagery, made this book such a
good and worthwhile read for me.

fave quote: "'She
wants something to love, I think' said the cat. 'Something that isn't
her. She might want something to eat as well. It's hard to tell with
creatures like that.'" (78)

fix er up: there are a couple nit-picks that i wish were different, but they are a bit spoilerish
so i won't post them. mostly how the story wraps up...there were some
things i considered to be loose ends that i wish had been tied up.

Reader reviewed by Library Queen

For those who like well written scary books, put this one on your list. Coraline finds a door that leads to another apartment that looks just like hers. Only in the OTHER apartment there lives an OTHER mother and father with black button eyes and magic ways. The other mother wants to keep Coraline for herself and never let her see her real parents again. In fact, the other mother makes Coralines parents disappear. Coraline must find a way to escape, rescue her real parents, and help release more of the captives.

A talking cat contributes much to the adventure. This conversation captures the personality of both charcters.

But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?

Easy, said the cat. Think of somebody walking around the world. You start out walking away from something and end up coming back to it.:

Small world, said Coraline.

Its is big enough for her said the cat. Spiders webs only have to be big enough to catch flies.

Coraline shivered.

To be honest the cover of this book did not attact me. I looked at it, read the back, looked at the cover again, and put it back on the shelf. But, I am constantly getting asked for a scary book and I was running low on ideas for some students. That is when I remembered this book and decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did. For someone who does not do scary books this one had just the right touch. The illustrations added so much to the story.

Reader reviewed by Amanda

Coraline, is a young girl living with her parents in a small portion of a large flat in London. Coraline is a very picky girl and always bored, never satisfied with activities her parents suggest for her to do and never satisfied with her parents in general, for that matter. When she discovers a door in their drawing room that just opens to a brick wall, Coraline has a feeling that the door does lead somewhere and when she figures out where, she becomes trapped in a world where a woman calls herself "her other mother" and a man her "other father." The place looks just like Coraline's flat (only better) and the man and woman just like her mother and father (only better), but as the story proceeds we quickly learn that these people never want to let Coraline go. She has to use her intelligence and wit to gain her life back.


This book gave me the creeps! It was great storytelling, though the illustrations may be a little too scary for younger children. I was a little disturbed of the drawing of a woman's face with button eyes and a bug crawling out of her mouth and I'm 24! I really did enjoy this story, though not usually a ghost story or fantasy fan, but even if you aren't into those genres or even juvenile fiction typically, give this one a try. It was a quick read that took me out of that darn reading slump! I give it a 4 out of 5.

Reader reviewed by Tobie

I loved this book!! At times I was torn between turning the page or shutting the book, because it was soo scary. Even though the storyline was pretty dark I still enjoyed watching Coraline face her fears!!! ( of buttons).