Erin Harris, Kyle Rispoli

Young Coraline has just moved into a new house. New to her anyway—“it’s old and ordinary/fifty miles from the next city/and dull as one house can be.”

 She lives on the second floor with her parents—above them is Mr. Bobo “a crazy old man” who says he’s training a mouse circus. Below them are two retired actresses lost in their memories of theatrical glory. There’s also a cat who ignores her.