“Coraline nunca había comprendido qué motivo había llevado a alguien a pintar un cuenco con frutas.”

“Coraline se dedicó a pasear y a contemplar unas botas de agua que tenían forma de rana, pato y conejito.Después volvió.—¿Coraline? Ah, aquí estás. ¿Dónde diablos te habías metido?—Me habían secuestrado unos extraterrestres —respondió Coraline—. Venían del espacio exterior con pistolas que lanzaban rayos, pero yo los he engañado poniéndome una peluca y hablando con acento extranjero, y he escapado.”

“Now Coraline," said Miss Spink, "what's your name?""Coraline," said Coraline."And we don't know each other, do we?"Coraline looked at the thin young woman with black button eyes and shook her head slowly.”

“I'm an explorer," said Coraline.”

“On the first day Coraline's family moved in, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible made a point of telling Coraline how dangerous the well was, and they warned her to be sure she kept away from it. So Coraline set off to explore for it, so that she knew where it was, to keep away from it properly.”

“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?''Cats don't have names,' it said.'No?' said Coraline.'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.”

“You know that I love you."And despite herself, Coraline nodded. It was true. The other mother loved her. But she loved Coraline as a miser loves money, or a dragon loves its gold. In the other mother's button eyes, Coraline knew knew that the other mother loved her as a possession, nothing more, a tolerated pet whose behavior was no longer amusing.”