A SKARY STORY

Coraline Jones moves with her parents from their home in Pontiac, Michigan, to the Pink Palace, a Victorian mansion renovated into an apartment in Ashland, Oregon, which is also occupied by retired actresses Misses Spink and Forcible, and eccentric Russian acrobat Mr. Bobinsky. With her parents perpetually working on a gardening catalog, thus unable to spend much time with her, Coraline feels neglected and decides to explore their new home as her father suggested, meeting Wyborn "Wybie" Lovat, the grandson of the apartments' landlady who she repeatedly insults; while exploring, Coraline finds a small door only to be sealed off by a brick wall. That night, Coraline is awakened by a mouse and follows it to the small door, where she discovers a long, dark corridor in the brick wall's place. Coraline goes through it and finds herself in the Other World, a fantastical parallel version of the Pink Palace inhabited by copies of her parents, called the "Other Mother" and "Other Father", who strongly resemble her parents, but have black buttons for eyes. These beings prove to be warmer and more attentive than Coraline's real parents (particularly the Other Mother, who does everything she can to impress Coraline). Coraline falls asleep in the Other World, but when she awakens the next morning, she finds herself back in her old world.

Despite warnings from her neighbors, Coraline continues to venture to the Other World at night to escape the doldrums of her real life, and is entertained by button-eyed "Other" versions of her neighbors, including a quiet Other Wybie, a fun Mr. Bobinsky who runs a circus and young Miss Spink and Miss Forcible who are great actresses. Back in the real world, while shopping for school clothes, Coraline asks her mom for mittens, only to be rejected. Angry with her mom, Coraline returns to the Other World. During her third visit, Coraline encounters a black cat from her own world (who has the ability to speak in the Other World), who warns Coraline of danger. He warns her that this place is not a "dream come true" and that the "Other Mother" is not a "mother" at all. She disregards his warnings until the Other Mother invites her to live in the Other World forever if she can sew buttons over her eyes.