Summary
After a brief, but harrowing period in the cupboard, Coraline meets 3 other children whose souls are trapped by the other mother. We learn the other mother’s motivation and just how high the stakes are if Coraline gets trapped. But we also learn the other mother’s weakness- her desire to win.
So much of this story is Coraline becoming an active character, a person of action. A person who faces difficult situations with cleverness and self-belief. This is probably the main lesson I take away from this book. More than the wildness or excitement or the talking cats, it is a young person in the face of something hard and conquering it.
Discussion Questions
How has the environment changed? How is the mother, the house different now?
Who are the 3 creatures she finds in the cupboard and what does than foretell for Coraline?
What is the deal she makes with her other mother? What are the terms?
What are 3 questions you want to ask Coraline at this point in the story?
What are several frightening things Coraline has overcome?
Self-talk
What is it? How has it helped Coraline?
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