Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

What's in a Name?
You may wonder why Gaiman chose the title of Beldam for the other mother—but you need not wonder any longer. Gaiman is a poet, however dark and creepy he may be, and it is pretty much consensus that he drew upon his familiarity of John Keats, poet extraordinaire, and his ballad entitled "La Belle Dame Sans Merci." What does that mean? Loosely translated, it means a woman without mercy. Sounds fitting to us, but read the ballad and see what you think.

R.I.P.: The Graveyard Book
Another great read from Gaiman, The Graveyard Book is about an orphaned boy who grows up in a graveyard. For excited students, this could be a great follow up to Coraline.