Coraline
by Neil Gaiman
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 740L (~4th grade) · 2003
Why we'd hand it over
The rare middle-grade book that earns its darkness—Gaiman trusts readers to sit with real dread and come out the other side, and Coraline becomes a kid who knows what she's capable of.
What parents said
I miss more challenging stories for children.