Is My Dog a Wolf? : How Your Pet Compares to Its Wild Cousin

By Jenni Bidner

(2010) ISBN 9781579907327

For anyone who has a number of basic questions about the canine member of the family, this book is a valuable treasure.  The information that this volume provides includes answers to questions commonly heard as well as to questions about Fido’s behavior we lived with without realizing we had them.  And while some questions while in themselves are not exciting, they do have answers that are surprising and interesting.

Readers of various ages, and certainly readers of the tween age, will enjoy this great little book very much and gain a great deal from it.  Inasmuch as oftentimes tweens are stepping into higher levels of responsibility in their family groups, including the greater degree of care that they have of family pets, it would be a greatly aid to take a look at this work.

Oh, yes, this book is recommended and certainly for anyone who wants to find out the answer to the title question.   

Sally Ride, First American Woman in Space

By Carole Ann Camp

(1997) ISBN 0894908294

Being a biography of Sally Ride, this book provides the reader with more than enough information about this individual in order to arrive at an easy understanding how she chose her lifework and prepared for it.  It is important to keep in mind that this volume is much more than a book about one individual.  There is also an enormous amount of valuable information provided about the space program in general.

This work is quite detailed for a relatively short work but done in such a manner that the interest of the reader is always well maintained. The respect shown towards the privacy of the subject is noted and the writer is to be highly commended for this consideration towards Ms. Ride.  In a biographic work, when the individual is still living, it seems the better practice to withhold some unnecessary details.  This book follows this guideline quite well.  Even with all the information contained, this is a book that is easy to follow and will be a big help to young researchers including tween readers and scholars.

Meet Thomas Jefferson

By Marvin Barrett

(1967) ISBN 0375812113

This is a well rounded picture of a person very important to anyone researching the history of our country,  Since tweens often times do study this area of history, this book can prove to be a highly tool for them in their research endeavors. This book starts off with a good clear and interesting recounting of the family background of Thomas Jefferson.

Life was definitely not one of glamour and endless socializing.  The father of Jefferson was a farmer, with land to his name it is true, but a farmer nevertheless and he passed away when Jefferson was only fourteen years of age.  Jefferson then had many responsibilities handed to him which he carried out well and continued his education and he involved himself at a very young age in the political side of life. This behavior was risky inasmuch as by doing so Jefferson and his friends incurred the wrath of the King of England.  Jefferson, in becoming the author of the Declaration of Independence, ran the real danger of the English army sending soldiers for him.  When this actually occurred Jefferson did manage to escape them.  When the war ended, Jefferson continued involving himself in the life of politics and he eventually became the Third President of the United States.

This book places an emphasis on the fact, often alluded in the majority of works on Jefferson, that Jefferson was a strong opponent of the existence of slavery.  This is an issue that this book’s readers, most especially its tween readers, may like to research further.  The illustrations are very helpful to the reader in presenting good clues to the life of Jefferson and his world.

On My Honor

By Marion Dane Bauer

(1955, 1986) ISBN 0899194397

One can only hope that young readers, especially tweens, will take time to glance through this book and then proceed to travel through the pages of this interesting tale.  The subject is a serious one and the lesson learned while achieved is valuable for both the book’s characters as well as for readers who will learn it in this second hand fashion.  What is learned with this reading may actually serve as a lifesaver in the future.

After promising his father, on his honor, to refrain from risky behavior Joel proceeds to fall under the influence of a risk taker and tragedy strikes.  This aspect of the story is of course heartbreaking but its telling can be invaluable for young readers of this story and readers will see Joel going through the grieving process.  Joel starts out making much use of rationalization to a great extent as he tries initially to cope with the consequences of his life choices.  However when Joel does decide to reach out, although in anger, and by blaming another person, does resolution begin to be reached.  This story also demonstrates clearly the great value of one’s family in coping with the pain of loss.

The Newbery Honor (1955) award was well deserved.

And Then There Were None

By Agatha Christie

(1939) ISBN 0312330871

This is one of the most intriguing of the books that have the fortune to be included in the mystery genre.  Written by one of the major masters of mystery books, this tale has been presented on the stage and on the screen.  The most satisfying means of enjoying this story however is in the reading of it.

Reading the recounting of how ten people invited to an island by an unknown host are then killed one by one, by person or persons unknown, and with each upcoming death, all the remaining guests, by now fully unwilling guests, the level of terror climbs higher and higher.  It does not seem to matter what means the guests take to protect themselves.  They can’t seem to hide or to protect themselves and forming alliances with one another is totally out the question inasmuch as no one can conjure up sufficient trust of one another.  This book truly presents the ultimate in pleasurable reading for hardcore mystery genre aficionados.

What makes this particular mystery so perfect is that at the end, it is almost impossible to guess the identity of the person responsible for the deaths.  It is clearly established that there are no survivors and even the police detectives are baffled.  Christie however is not that heartless and there is an explanation that makes perfect once the reader is led to it in a postscript.

Tweens can especially have a wonderful time reading this well written murder classic and in the process will have the opportunity to learn a great deal about human motivations that are quite complex.

Little House in the Big Woods

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

(1932. 1994) ISBN 0064400018

On this return visit, decades after the first reading, the reader is just as charmed by Laura Ingalls and her family and their world as happened in the first visit.  Memories of specific incidents may have faded but the warmth of the Ingalls family circle has maintained itself over time and this reading after years of absence has been even more pleasurable by this revisit.  While one can realize that this recounting of American pioneer days is somewhat romanticized, this shortcoming is a minor detail swept along to the side due to the overall strengths of the writing by Ingalls.  The details about just how a family survived on the American frontier that Ingalls includes are just the right amount of information and never lead one to boredom.  The illustrations are quite welcome in getting a better understanding of the times of Laura and her family.  The modern reader is aided quite a bit by these illustrations of a historical time.

During this delightful re-reading of this book, one of the things that struck this reader for the first time was the sense of humor that Ingalls employs in her storytelling.  This has added further to the appreciation of this author’s work by this returning visitor to her childhood memories.  As a child the humorous aspect of Ingalls’ writing was not recognized in anywhere near the same degree.  Perhaps today’s readers, especially tween readers, may also undergo the same experience if as they progress in their lifetimes they also decide to pay a return visit to the Ingalls family.  With so much wealth to bestow on their readers may the Ingalls and their loved ones continue to thrive!

The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull

By John Bellairs

(1984) ISBN 0803701225

In the midst of a February fun get away, Johnny Dixon and his companion, Professor Roderick Childermass, find themselves stranded when the professor’s vehicle loses a battle with the snow.  Their only choice is to take shelter in the closest inn and that chance decision will color their lives for the next few months and lead to a life or death situation.

The first thing that happens when the travelers settle down for a quiet night is that they learn the innkeeper has in his possession a clock with the name Childermass engraved on it.  Johnny and the professor accept the offer to take a look at this timepiece.  As they view this clock, the professor states that the dollhouse portion of the clock is a replicate of the Childermass parlor and that the figure in this dollhouse parlor represents an uncle who died mysteriously within the actual family parlor of the family home in Vermont.  There is an accidental touching of a skull that is the contained within the clock’s parlor.  This incident leads in a short time to Johnny having to reach out for help from others when the professor turns up missing, nowhere to be found.

With the help of several friends, Johnny succeeds in finally locating the professor but not before several scary moments which include encounters with witches and warlocks.  Johnny finds he must not leave much to chance.  Not to be overlooked is the diligent library research work in which Johnny and his friends engage in during their search for the actual location of the missing professor.

Twisted Summer

By Willo Davis Roberts

(1996) ISBN 0689804598

Cici is a girl in a hurry.  This year, after spending the precious summer elsewhere, fourteen year old Cici’s family is headed back to their usual vacation site at Crystal Lake joining their extended family as well as various other families with whom they have become close friends.

This year Cici looks forward to fitting in with the big kids since she is almost fifteen and she especially longs forward to the possibility of being considered as a girlfriend by seventeen year old, Jack.  Upon arriving at Crystal Lake Cici is dismayed to learn that during the year she missed at the lake, Jack together with his family has been snubbed by the community due to the murder conviction of Jack’s older brother, Brody.  Cici decides to remedy this situation by making it her mission to clear Brody, who she believes is innocent.  Cici sees this endeavor as also an opportunity to get closer to Jack and his family and in Cici and Jack do work well together manage to come with justice for Brody.

 

The action throughout this book is well paced, the characters are highly believable and there is not a dull moment and as such highly recommended for readers in the tween age group.

The Hardy Boys, undercover brothers. #18, D.A.N.G.E.R. spells the hangman

By Scott Lobdell

(2009) ISBN 9781597071604

Frank and Joe are presented here in Manga style as they go undercover to stop a madman who has threatened to erase the competition in the national spelling bee.  When the reigning best speller is called away to serve another duty, Joe does double duty as the stand-in as the school’s spelling bee contestant.  This however leaves Frank with double duty in attempting to solve the mystery of who is the threat to the safety of the spelling bee contestants.

The Manga style of this adventure adds to the entertainment and excitement of this adventure and makes for a fun experience for the tween audience.

Dear Mom, Get Me Out of Here!

By Ellen Conford

(1992) ISBN 0316153702

Paul Tanner’s parents have accepted a work position in Switzerland and in order to catch their plane, they drop Paul off at his new boarding school, Burnside Academy, without ever meeting with the headmaster.  They feel somewhat confident about the academic standing of the school inasmuch as Uncle Jack attended this institution thirty years prior and since Uncle Jack has achieved much and is in fact very prosperous.  Paul, however, quickly learns that relying solely on past conditions of institutions can be such a mistake.

At Burnside the food served to the students is atrocious, the plumbing leaves a great deal to be desired and that is just the beginning of the list of atrocious conditions that the Burnside boarding school students must face.  The school’s teachers do any thing but teach and the coaches are extraordinarily lacking in any athletic skills or ideas as to what is involved in athletics.

Paul finds that while his fellow students are very much academically challenged to begin with and not being helped scholastically due to the poor quality of the school’s faculty, the students have bonded and are quite co-operative with one another, and in fact are a good hearted lot.

So when Paul contacts his mother, via mail in this pre-cell phone era setting, and asks that his parents inspect the school, he has conflicting feelings about leaving.  Things have changed and he does not want to leave his new friends.  All that Paul and his school mates ever want is for the leadership of the school to be changed.  The readers of this very enjoyable book will have fun learning just how the creative lads at Burnside achieve this goal.

Bridge to Terabithia

By Katherine Paterson

(1977) ISBN 0690013590

This is a book with many twists and turns.  Readers are first introduced to Jess Aarons, a fifth grader who has prepared himself all summer for the start of school and its upcoming athletic contests with his fellow students only to find that he and the rest of the boys have been bested by the newest student.  Most annoying of all, that superior athlete is a girl and there is not much chance that Jess will be able to avoid running literally into this competitor in as much as she, Leslie Burke, turns out to be Jess’ new next door neighbor.

The reader is next surprised when Jess and Leslie form a fast friendship.  Part of the reason that these two young people become such close friends is the fact that they both possess strong and beautiful imaginations.  With this in common, the two friends create an imaginary and quite separate play area in the woods near their homes.  Their play area, which Jess and Leslie consider to be their kingdom, can be reached only by the use of a swinging rope.  Jess and Leslie, name this secret kingdom, Terabithia and they literally seem to consider this place their heaven on earth, a refuge from bullies and other unpleasant challenges common in the world of tweens.

All does not go well for our young friends when one of them drowns trying to reach this private kingdom one day.  The most difficult aspect of reading this beautifully written book is learning of this turn in the story and having to look on as the surviving friend struggles to copy with this loss.  Inasmuch as this story is beautifully told and also is a very good depiction of a tween friendship, this book is highly recommended even with the challenge presented by the loss of a beloved character.

Nest, Nook & Cranny: Poems

By Susan Blackaby

(2010) ISBN 9781580893503

This work provides value on more than one level.  First of all it is a collection of poetry accompanied with clearly written discussions of the types of poetic forms that have been used in each individual work.  The book itself is arranged in short sections that are composed of different habitats in nature – desert, grassland, shoreline, woods area and that area referred to as wetlands.

The simple appearance of this volume can be deceiving.  While small in size, its value to students of nature as well as of poetry is almost without measure.  The explanations regarding the composition and intent of the poetry forms used alone makes it very easy to recommend this beautifully illustrated and written book.

Howl’s Moving Castle

By Diana Wynne Jones

(2005) 9781421500911

Reading the first volume of this tale will be so enjoyable and intriguing that many readers will be unable to resist the three volumes that complete this story.

We start with a heroine, Sophie, who considers herself destined for a routine and uninteresting future.  Sophie however is highly mistaken in this assessment.  In fact, the wicked Witch of the Waste feels that Sophie is such a threat that she turns Sophie into an old woman.  This witch is influenced in part by her suspicion that Sophie has had some contact with Howl, the wizard that the wicked witch is trying to hunt down.  In this first installment, the reader is made aware that Howl has had to be quite cleaver to escape several pursuers already.  To find out whether Howl and Sophie prevail, tune to the complete four volumes of this work.

The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular

By Jimmy Gownley

(2010) ISBN 9781416986089

While touching on the topic of popularity which is highly interesting to the majority of tweens, this book can actually serve any of its readers well.  The lessons that are presented in this book are done so in a highly entertaining manner and are applicable to several generations.  It is never too late or early to learn the difference between the state of popularity, which can be a very fleeting stage in our lives, and the even more important state of not being unpopular.  Our main character, Amelia McBride, learns this distinction well and with the assistance of both her mother and aunt.  This is a highly recommended quick and pleasant read.

Kate Culhane: A Ghost Story

By Michael Hague

(2001) ISBN 1587170582

Kate Culhane lives among many losses.  Ireland, Kate’s home in the mid-nineteenth century, has endured the famine deaths of many inhabitants and a further reduction of people due to immigration.  The home that Kate shares on the windswept coast with her only family, her mother, provides a meager shelter but Kate manages to be happy.  It is when her mother falls ill and dies that a much saddened and lonely Kate struggles to survive.

One day as Kate hurries out of the cemetery following a visit to her mother’s gravesite, she accidentally steps on a newly dug grave.  Unable to pull away, Kate hears a voice from the dead and finds herself compelled to follow the orders of a dead man.  Kate is forced to drain blood of the living and prepare it in a meal for the dead man.  Later Kate finds out the power of that gruesome gruel and manages to free herself from her ghostly controller as well as save her beloved’s life.

Kate’s story will appeal greatly to those familiar with the struggles of the Irish forced in the mid-nineteenth century to flee their homeland.  This story with the personification of a ghost does even more to emphasize the presence of the lost in this land during this story.  This book will be highly appealing to many of today’s readers is that Kate Culhane is the heroine who determines her future and that of her people.  Kate not only risks her life but prevails due to her resourcefulness, saving the lives of those dear to her and bringing wealth to them. 

The watercolor illustrations are vital instruments in the story telling.  No important detail is omitted and the pictures blend well with the text.  The dismal world that faces Kate in the beginning of this tale is clearly presented as is the frightfulness of the ghost Kate encounters in the cemetery.  The drawing showing Kate’s strong resolve as she faces the merchant and demands that he remember the promise to reward her once she manages to save his sons is well executed.

This book will appeal to both tweens and older readers due to the great story as well as the illustrations do much to convey the moods of the different episodes that range from bleak to frightful to joyous.

The Shadow Door/ The ElseWhere Chronicles

By Art Bannister

(2009) ISBN 9780761339632

When the neighborhood recluse, Old Man Gabe, dies, Noah, Theo and Max, tween friends decide to hang out together and peek into the estate from the safety of the fencing surrounding the grounds.  They observe that final services are being held and when the adopted granddaughter of the deceased is permitted, she being in the same age group decides to join the three boys in exploring the house.

The explorations of these four companions lead to several perilous encounters with some monsters and most frightening of all, these creatures are made of shadows.  While our brave foursome does manage to save themselves they find out that it is only when they travel to the other side of the Shadow Door and obtain the tools they need to survive.

The text in this graphic novel is quite entertaining due to the writing quality and good plotting and it is also great fun to look at the art work.

The Whipping Boy

By Sid Fleischman

(1986) ISBN 0688062164

In a land far away and a time long ago young princes were punished for their transgressions, punished very severely.  Every blow administered however caused no pain at all to the offending princes.  This was due to the fact that the princes had surrogates for their whippings.

As we arrive on the scene, the prince of the land has again earned a sound thrashing for the whipping boy, Jemmy.  Jemmy, an orphan snatched from the streets for this duty is too proud to utter a cry of pain.  This further infuriates the spiteful prince, known as Prince Brat behind his back.  When Prince Brat forces Jemmy to runaway with him they come across some cut-throat ruffians who look to take advantage of the two runaways.  Together with the resourcefulness of Jemmy, help from some relocated friends and changes that Prince Brat undergoes, fortunes change for Jemmy for the better as we leave this land of far away and long ago.

This book's illustrations do much to carry the story along as well as bring to life the secondary but hilarious and picturesque ruffians, Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater.

For tweens with an interest in the fantasy world of folklore and of”medieval times" this book will provide an alternative an entertaining choice to the overly present graphic novel genre.  For tweens working on making sure they are given a fair shake, like Jemmy, this will be a reassuring read.

1987 Newbery Award winner.

Holes

By Louis Sachar

DVD V2266

This film based on the 1999 Newbery Award book, Holes by Louis Sachar, stars Shia LaBeouf as the main character, Stanley Yelnats in this coming of age tale.

The entire Yelnats family has experienced bad luck for generations and when Stanley finds himself unfairly accused of the theft of some very expensive shoes, he is not surprised about his quick conviction and sentencing to a juvenile detention center.  Given his circumstances Stanley initially welcomes being sent to Camp Green Lake however upon his arrival he realizes how extremely misnamed this supposed juvenile detention center is. Even with all these challenges, Stanley manages to find the real purpose of the holes that the camp juveniles must dig every day, who really stole the shoes he was accused of taking, and best of all he manages to reverse the fortunes of his family as well as his own.

With its youthful characters, and their resourcefulness under extremely challenging circumstances, the film Holes will be especially appealing to audiences that include tweens. 

Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You

By Barthe DeClements
(1985) 9781413148503

This book with the attention grabbing title has wonderful qualities as well as aspects that had they been addressed in greater depth would have resulted in a book closer to excellent.  The matters not discussed sufficiently include the over mischievous behavior of the main character, Helen Nichols. However once the obstacles that our main character faces, readers perhaps will understand the frustrations that may account for Helen’s misbehavior at times.

Helen Nichols is excellent in her mathematics classes, athletic endeavors as well in her music activities.  What plagues Helen is a condition that has plagued far too many members of our world for too long but which has fortunately has been begun to be addressed by educators with far better skill in the past few years.  We, however, must continue with greater vigilance to identify and assist sufferers of the condition which causes Helen so must unnecessary physical discomfort and academic frustrations.

Helen Nichols, our very normal and well liked sixth grader, is quite convinced that she will not make it to seventh grade because of the academic failures that constantly befall her in one area of her studies.  Helen’s mother means well, absolutely loves her daughter and works very hard with Helen to overcome the school obstacles that this condition present but the reader will quickly realize that the wrong approach is being employed. 

It is now widely acknowledged that sufferers of dyslexia will not benefit from spending hours upon suffering hours of approaching learning to read in the conventional approach and in this story, once Helen is placed in the special reading educational setting, she benefits tremendously and learns to accept herself as being not “dumb” but rather a regular kid.

The Ghost of Fossil Glen

By Cynthia DeFelice

(1998) 9780374317874

Adding to the circle of girl sleuths comes Allie Nichols, a sixth grader, who as a pastime, likes to solve some of life’s little puzzlements by inventing scenarios to explain away questions that surround situations she encounters.

While her teacher places a high value on Allie’s degree of imagination, Allie’s ways do not meet with the approval of all in her circle.  Her parents decide to keep an eye on the situation and, worst of all, her two friends turn on her and label Allie a liar.  Allie is fortunate that in the midst of this turmoil, Dub, her friend, sticks by her.  In fact Dub stands by Allie’s side when Allie becomes convinced that she has been contacted by a spirit.  The ghost that enters Allie’s life is the ghost of a girl whose disappearance has not been solved in the four year she was last seen.

Reading the diary of the dead girl, Lucy Stiles, leads Allie to strongly suspect that Lucy had been murdered when she got in the way of a greedy suitor of Lucy’s mother.  Allie manages to bring out the killer even while endangering her own life.  Allie manages to survive and the reader is led to believe that it is due to instrumentality of Lucy that we are presented with this fortunate ending.

Good writing and excellent pacing of the action makes this a worthy addition to the reading list of tween readers, especially those who are mystery fans.

Jacob Have I Loved

By Katherine Paterson

(1980) 0690040784

Commencing the reading of this book can be somewhat painful for anyone who has ever experienced sibling rivalries.  Of course we are aware that such rivalries can be normal occurrences in families and that most families survive these challenges.  In fact those readers who do complete the reading of Jacob Have I Loved are rewarded with a tale that ultimately has a happy ending and is well written.

The book’s main character, Sara Louise, has always felt herself undervalued by her family who she is convinced love only Sara Louise’ twin sister, the more beautiful and talented Caroline.  The reader can see quite clearly from the first page that Sara Louise has almost crippled herself emotionally due to all the suspicions and resentments that she bears towards her sister.  It almost gets to the points that readers may begin to wonder whether Sara Louise is either imaging slights against her or whether the family is actually abusive towards Sara Louise.

As this story progresses and Sara Louise continues in her struggles to come to terms with her different disappointments.  Due to the unhappiness that she has caused for herself, or at least has exaggerated, Sara Louise almost passed up an opportunity for a well deserved college education.  Fortunately she listens to the advice of a friend and takes the opportunity she deserves.  Eventually Sara Louise grows to the level she deserves and even considers entering the medical profession, as a doctor.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

By E. L. Konigsburg

1968 (068985322X

Unlike the stories of the usual run aways that newspaper readers are informed of and that cause much vicarious worrying, Claudia Kincaid is a very much prepared eleven year old girl.  Before setting out to absent herself from her family, the family that Claudia views as taking her for granted as well as placing too demands on her, Claudia pinpoints the exact place to which she wishes to run.  Yes, the place to run to is even more important inasmuch as we learn from the beginning that Claudia is not one to welcome discomfort or cold or hunger.  That is how Claudia decided on running to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where one can live in comfort if one is careful not to be discovered by the museum personnel.

As soon as Claudia begins to make her plans she realizes that being short of savings, not being one to put off spending on treats, and she must find someone with a bankroll, so to speak.  That is how Claudia decided to bring her brother, Jamie, who never spent any of the loot he has ever acquired.  Jamie is flattered by being let into this plot and agrees to join her.

With all the intrigue that Claudia and Jamie must involve themselves in while secreting themselves from the security personnel and also attempting to solve a mystery about one of the museum statues this story has so much to hold the interest of readers.  Readers of this book have ranged from ages of nine and on up.  When these readers are quizzed years later, they tend to sigh with pleasure and agree that this is one of the greatest books ever.  No wonder that it won the Newbery Award in 1968.

By the Side of the Road

By Jules Feiffer

(2002) 0786809086

This truly improbable tale will be enjoyable to all willing to step away from our boring everyday logical lives.  Our main character, Richard a young boy, decides that he is not going to back down as his parents ask him to behave during a car trip.  After repeated warnings Richard agrees to be left on the side of the road until the family returns from their errands hours later.  Richard refuses to apologize and one thing leads to another as Richard learns to survive on the side of the road (with of course a lot of help from his family).  Richard even marries and raises his family on the side of the road.  Both the text and the illustrations are very entertaining.

GoGirl 1, The Time Team

By Trina Robbins

(2004) 1593072309

A lively tale of high school girls taking a little side trip to the Jurassic Era thanks to the time machine invention of Doc, the school genius.  It all commences when Heather, a cheer leader non-friend of Doc’s spots the time machine (in the guise of an exercise bike) and touches the wrong buttons.  With this, Doc, Heather along with Lindsay, the GoGirl! Superhero travel back in time and save themselves and make it back by trying something new, cooperation with one another.  And that is how the Time Team gets its start.  This book which it is light and enjoyable entertainment and also provides information about the Jurassic Era and thus does provide both pleasure and educational value for its readers.

Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics, Vol. 2

By Ted Naifeh

(2003) ISBN 1929998597

In this book Courtney Crumrin engages in a new adventure with much at stack.  She is matched against the most powerful of the warlocks and witches of her town as she, herself a witch, tries to save the life of a newly acquired friend as well as finding the true villain that is responsible for some deaths among the warlocks and witches in Courtney’s group of acquaintances.

Coraline

By Neil Gaiman

(2002) ISBN 9780060575915

Coraline has moved with her parents into a new home, a flat occupying one quarter of an old house and Coraline is quite bored since she has no nearby friends her own age.  She tries to expand her exploratory boundaries but has been instructed to venture no further than the grounds immediately surrounding their home so she therefore intensifies her investigation of the house. 

The first of the two other units house is occupied by someone Coraline decides is a crazy old man after he informs her he is training a mouse circus.  The third unit is occupied by the elderly Misses Spink and Forcible and while Coraline finds these ladies somehow intriguing they do not meet up to her full approval.  They do not seem listening well enough to her name and they blissfully persist in calling her, Caroline.

This characteristic of the neighbors seems ironic.  While the name Coraline is uncommon, with a little practice one can make the adjustment quite well.  However this misnaming actually plays an important part of the story.  It adds to the frustration that Coraline is experiencing and leads her to continue exploring the house until she enters the fourth unit after being told not to even open the connecting door.  It is fortunate for Coraline that the occupants of the third unit even with their annoying habit of misnaming her have nevertheless provided with something that will ultimately enable Coraline to save herself, her parents and to assist three other children.

Coraline’s investigative nature leads to very dangerous adventures when she discovers an alternative world within that fourth unit and a very evil presence known as the “other mother” who tries to destroy Coraline and her parents as they exist.  While Coraline seems initially to be a spoiled young girl she proves herself as a brave, very intelligent and kind-hearted heroine.  By the end of this story Coraline is one of the most likeable characters in recent books and this reader very much recommends this book.