Coraline

Coraline is a dark fantasy horror children's novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Gaiman started writing Coraline in 1990, and it was published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and HarperCollins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. The Guardian ranked Coraline #82 in its list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. It was adapted as a 2009 stop-motion animated film, directed by Henry Selick under the same name. Plot Coraline Jones moves into a new apartment with her parents. As a curious and adventurous 11 year-old girl, Coraline quickly becomes bored of her new surroundings even though she has some eccentric neighbors to keep her company. One rainy day, Coraline becomes interested in a strange door that opens up to a brick wall. Mysteriously, the brick wall vanishes the next day and the door leads to an eerie corridor. When Coraline explores it, she finds that on the other side is a parallel universe that is a mirror image of the one she just left behind. She finds an alternate version of her new home, inhabited by versions of her parents who call themselves her "Other Mother" and "Other Father". Her other parents are eerily similar to her parents with one big difference: they have buttons for eyes. Uncertain of her place and the safety of this new world Coraline returns through the door. When Coraline returns home from the parallel universe, she finds that her real parents have gone missing. She decides to go back to the parallel universe and look for them. Coraline recalls what bravery means by remembering a story of where her father rescued her from a swarm of bees. Coraline undertakes several brave adventures in the Other universe as she battles the evil Other Mother in a game to save herself, her parents, and more. She ends up discovering the incredible strength within herself through these adventures.