Coraline and her parents move into an old Queen Anne style house that had been subdivided into three flats. Coraline's parents are always busy with their work and pay her little attention. Isolated, Coraline goes off to explore.

Coraline finds a locked door in the drawing room, though the entrance beyond is bricked up. The next day she takes the key to the door, opens it, and finds a dark corridor leading to an apartment almost identical to her own.This alternate world is inhabited by her Other Mother and Other Father, who are near-replicas of her real parents, except they have buttons for eyes.

At the day's end, the Other Mother offers her a chance to stay in this world forever if Coraline will let her sew buttons into her eyes. Coraline is horrified and dashes back through the door to go home.Upon her return Coraline finds her real parents are missing and Coraline, discovering they were kidnapped by the Other Mother, resolves to rescue them.

Can Coraline get out? Can she find her real parents? Will life ever be the same again?