Book Review: Coraline is a children's adventure story with a bit of the scary and a talking cat. The book updates old folk or fairy tales ("Hansel and Gretel" comes to mind) and is something like a modernization of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865): as wondrous as Wonderland was, there was no microwave pizza in the court of the Queen of Hearts. Sadly, I had trouble making myself six again to fully appreciate this, though I'm sure I'd have trouble with a phrase such as "ghastly parody" (I appreciated that Neil Gaiman doesn't talk down to his audience). The tone of the book is perfect for reading to children and Coraline is a true and worthy hero, a brave and determined explorer who thinks of others. If I'd first read Coraline when younger I know I'd appreciate it even more. [3½★]
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