Reading Questions for Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Deep Reading for Middle & High School ELA

Build stronger readers through thoughtful, chapter-by-chapter analysis.

Dive into Neil Gaiman’s Coraline with a set of meaningful, high-engagement reading questions that help students slow down, notice more, and think more critically about the story’s language, mood, themes, and character development. These questions are designed to move beyond plot recall and guide readers toward literary analysis — without overwhelming them.

This resource walks students through Coraline chapter by chapter, offering structured objectives, close-reading prompts, visuals-optional tasks, and opportunities for discussion, journaling, or class facilitation. Teachers can use it flexibly for independent reading, lit circles, whole-class novel study, or enrichment.

What’s Included

• 100+ Reading Questions covering every chapter of Coraline
• Chapter Objectives written as guiding questions to help students understand the “big ideas” of each chapter before they read
• Close Reading & Analysis Tasks focused on:
  • Characterization
  • Mood & tone
  • Imagery
  • Symbolism
  • Narrative perspective
  • Genre conventions
• Creative & Visual Options (drawing, imagining scenes, noticing motifs) to support diverse learners
• Moments of Thematic Depth, prompting students to explore bravery, identity, growing independence, and the uncanny
• Digital Version Included (Google Docs — ready to assign; students type directly into text boxes)

Perfect For

• Grades 6–10 ELA
• Whole-class novel studies
• Independent reading projects
• Lit circles
• Sub-plans or asynchronous learning days
• Homeschool or tutoring support
• Building skills in close reading, annotation, and analytical writing

Why Teachers Love This Resource

• Clear scaffolding. Chapter objectives orient students toward deeper thinking rather than plot summary.
• Flexible pacing. Use the entire set or mix-and-match questions depending on your students’ needs.
• Analysis-ready prompts. Many questions prepare students for analytical paragraphs or compare/contrast writing.
• Engaging for reluctant readers. Coraline’s eerie mystery pairs incredibly well with the style of questions that help students slow down and “see” the text.

A Closer Look at How It Works

Each chapter begins with 3–4 high-level objective questions — for example, in Chapter 1, students are guided to:

• Characterize Coraline and the adults in her world
• Notice early genre signals
• Reflect on mood and story pace

Then, students respond to structured prompts such as:

• “What kind of door is in the drawing room? Does it fit in with everything else in the home?”
• “What kind of imagery is being developed with the shadows?”
• “What do the paint choices suggest about this alternate world?”
• “How do we determine ‘harmless’ versus ‘dangerous’ people in a story?”

Throughout the resource, students explore recurring motifs (green objects, mist, shadows), identify literary devices, and compare the real world to the “other” world — helping them organically build interpretive skills.

✨ Bonus Tips

• Use alongside the print or Kindle 10th Anniversary Edition for easy page referencing
• Encourage students to draw or journal responses — not just write answers
• Great for small groups, lit circles, or parent-led discussions

Want more Coraline Activities?

Pair these reading questions with:

• Close reading exercises for chapter 1
• Close reading exercises for chapters 2 & 3
• Pre-viewing activity for the film adaptation
• Viewing questions for the film adaptation