Shelly's Book Blog

I'm not a horror fan, but Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, is one scary story I found well worth reading. Actually, I would say creepy is a better word to describe this strange but compelling story. Coraline is a young girl who lives with her rather neglectful parents (or so it seems to Coraline). She is often bored, and the story finds her interacting with her neighbors, looking for entertainment. Unfortunately, the neighbors can't even seem to get her name right (they call her Caroline). Coraline enjoys exploring, but unfortunately this leads to trouble. There is a mysterious, locked door in her family's apartment that opens onto a brick wall. Coraline's mother explains that the building used to be one house, and when it was divided into apartments this door was permanently blocked.

One day Coraline, left again to her own devices, unlocks the door and is surprised to see that the brick wall has been replaced by a long, dark passageway. She walks through and the nightmare begins. The other side is a sort of copy of her own house and comes complete with "the other mother" and "the other father," along with copies for other people, places, and even animals that inhabit Coraline's world. This alternate world seems great at first (these other neighbors at least get her name right), but it is not long before Coraline realizes that something is amiss.

This short but inventive tale should satisfy horror fans' desire for frightening situations and images, but I recommend it because it tackles, in an original and thoughtful way, that "grass is greener" issue that so many of us deal with in our real lives.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey was every bit as good as the first book. In this story, the four children are supposed to participate in a scavenger hunt, designed by Mr. Benedict, as a way of celebrating their first anniversary together. However, Mr. Benedict's evil twin brother, Mr. Curtain, captures his brother and the fun turns into another dangerous mission that will require the skills of all four members of the Benedict Society. We meet some interesting new characters, such as the cheerful and helpful Cannonball and Mr. Benedict's friend, Captain Nolan. There is even a kindhearted librarian named Sophie who believes in and helps the children at one of their more difficult moments. Lots of adventure here, as well as some important issues such as trust, loyalty, and truth, to think about.
I hightly recommend this book for both boys and girls!

Rick Riordan has a new installment of his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series coming out this month: The Battle of the Labyrinth. While I am eagerly awaiting the book’s arrival, I thought I’d revisit the first three books in the series, which are some of my favorite recent reads. Book 1 is called The Lightning Thief, and it is here that the series hero, Perseus Jackson, finds out that his father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Book 2 is The Sea of Monsters, and book 3 is The Titan’s Curse. In each of these books Percy and his friends (most of them kids who also have a Greek god for a parent) go on exciting adventures and meet many characters from Greek mythology, most of whom are presented with a humorous modern twist. I really love this series, as a mom because I know my kids are learning about Greek mythology as they read, but also as a reader because Riordan knows how to write a compelling story.