One of the developmental English teachers is using this for the novel for her class so, since I have been impressed by her intelligence and judgment, I decided to read it.
I absolutely loved it. Coraline reminded me somewhat of Isobel ("Isobel, Isobel didn't worry; Isobel didn't fret nor flurry. She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up, then Isobel calmly ate the bear up.") It could be very dark and quite frightening, but Coraline is a very brave and practical child and proceeds in spite of the general creepiness. Gaiman uses the juxtaposition of normality and "the other" to excellent effect.
Coraline is the centerpiece, though. "On the first day Coraline's family moved in, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible made a point of telling Coraline how dangerous the well was, and they warned her to be sure she kept away from it. So Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly." That tells you what you need to know about Coraline.
Still, while it is totally charming, I can't help wondering if the whimsy will be lost on reluctant readers.
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