It is hard to know where to begin when it comes to the opportunities to dive into Coraline. As is the case with Gaiman's work in general, his quirky and inventive storytelling is pretty appealing to kids. In fact, if you have some hesitant readers in your group, Gaiman sets you up with the perfect pitch to lure them in: Coraline is a book like no other. It is off the literary beaten path, wandering through the dark and twisted forest of Gaiman's mind. In other words, when it comes to Coraline, don't knock it 'til you've tried it. And you definitely haven't tried it before.

Good and Evil

But while Coraline marches to the beat of Gaiman's strange drum, that doesn't mean it shies away from real issues. In fact, the themes of good and evil are major players in the text.

Coraline is lonely and bored, but despite being forewarned about the dangers of entering the other world, she pretty much ignores the warnings to embrace the excitement. Soon, though, she realizes that a world where she has everything she wants is not such a great thing and there is more to it than meets the eye—what she thought would only be good turns out to be much more complicated.