A scary children’s book that follows a bored little girl into a world of monsters. 

Coraline is your typical child, she’s imaginative, active, and easily bored. While her parents seem to ignore her (they could be, but it’s also told from a child’s POV so it could be exaggerated) in their new home, Coraline takes her entertainment into her own hands and explores their new flat. She meets her curious and bizarre neighbors (a pair of old women with a bunch of dogs and a man training mice to perform in a circus). The novelty of these new people wears off quickly and Coraline soon discovers a mysterious door in her flat. The door at first appears to lead nowhere and just a leftover from when the flat used to be a single house. However, one night, Coraline discovers a hidden world beyond the door where her “other” parents reside. Though her other parents are more interesting and attentive, Coraline soon discovers all is not what it seems and her other mother’s motives are more sinister. 

I’ve seen the movie several times and it still terrifies me even though I’m an adult now. The book is definitely less terrifying, but I imagine to a child it would be pretty scary. Horror for children is an interesting genre and I think this is a great book. It uses a lot of imagination, critical thinking, and even has some life lessons thrown in. I would definitely recommend it to any child (of an appropriate age) who likes scary things.