Coraline Jones moves into a new apartment with her parents. As a curious and adventurous 11-year-old girl, Coraline quickly becomes bored of her new surroundings even though she has some eccentric neighbors to keep her company.
One rainy day, Coraline becomes interested in a strange door that opens up to a brick wall. The brick wall vanishes the next day and the door leads to a corridor. When Coraline explores it, she finds that on the other side is a parallel universe that is a mirror image of the one she just left behind. She finds an alternate version of her new home, inhabited by versions of her parents who call themselves her "Other Mother" and "Other Father". Her other parents are similar to her parents with one big difference: they have buttons for eyes.
Uncertain of her place and the safety of this new world, Coraline returns through the door. There she finds that her real parents have gone missing. She decides to go back to the parallel universe and look for them. Coraline recalls what bravery means by remembering a story of where her father rescued her from a swarm of wasps. Coraline undertakes several brave adventures in the Other Universe as she battles the evil Other Mother in a game to save herself, her parents, and more. She discovers strength within herself through these adventures.[7]
