Master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a breathtaking collection of tales for younger readers that may chill or amuse, but that always embrace the unexpected.
When Coraline and her family move into a new house, she finds a mysterious otherworld on the other side of one of the house’s many doors. Narnia, however, this is not. The creepy characters of this other dark world lead Coraline on a number of spine-tingling adventures, but readers will be enchanted by Coraline’s courage and resourcefulness.
This beautiful contemporary fairy tale was later made into a movie. It features a pair of young lovers — Tristan, who agrees to find the falling star he just spotted, and the girl who agrees to marry him when he does. Tristan’s adventures make this a perfect fairy tale for older readers.
These short stories have plenty of intrigue to keep students engaged and teachers can use them to teach literary devices including plot, characterization, foreshadowing, and irony.