Clockwork by Philip Pullman

This turned out to be a creepy little fantasy-fiction story about an apprentice clock-maker, a disturbing doctor, and sickly prince in a small German town. The story is well-crafted, with several storylines coming together like the gears of a clock. It is written on a pretty advanced reading level (guided reading level Z) and might be hard for some students to follow if they’re not prepared for reality and fantasy to entertwine so closely. There’s plenty of evil and fantasy (and even a few untimely deaths) to keep the Steven-King bound reader engaged.

The Witches by Roald Dahl

I re-read The Witches in August when trying to pick my first read-aloud for the year, and I’m so glad I decided on this one. Not only did I enjoy reading it to my nephew (for practice), but it is rapidly becoming a favorite of my students. They squeal with delight when Dahl describes the witches (we haven’t yet met the convention of witches - we’ll get to that this week); they find the grandmother hysterical with her cigars; they are already worried about the fate of the boy. I would say it’s a perfect read-aloud for a 5th or 6th grade class, and I am especially enjoying it as our first shared novel since they are so eager to hear the next chapter - a good way to start the year!
For independent reading: The Witches is guided reading level R.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

After enjoying Clockwork so much, I picked up Coraline because of Philip Pullman’s endorsement on the front cover - and I was not disappointed. Gaiman introduces Coraline as the lone daughter of two absent-minded parents who often ignore her. When she discovers a hidden door in her apartment, Coraline stumbles into the creepy of her “other mother” who tries to trap Coraline by showering her with attention and love - in return for her soul. Coraline eventually needs to save her real parents from the evil other mother, thus finding happiness within her own ordinary life. Creepy, scary, and thrilling; a bit above most of my readers right now (guided reading level W) but a good goal for winter/spring.

Coraline is also being made into a movie, and a graphic novel version has already been made & released. I previewed the graphic novel online and didn’t agree with the depiction of Coraline, but would be interested to see if it is useful for students who have trouble organizing the plot & characters in their minds.