In The Indian In The Cupboard, Omri discovers a wonderful, magical world when a three inch high Indian named Little Bear came to life. Now, in The Return Of The Indian, Omri tries to see his friend Little Bear again, and lands in the middle of a whole new series of astonishing and dangerous adventures -- from which he may never escape!

ANNOTATION

A year after he sends his Indian friend, Little Bear, back into the magic cupboard, Omri decides to bring him back, only to find that he is close to death and in need of help. Sequel to "The Indian in the Cupboard."

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Omri can hardly contain his excitement when he wins first prize in a national writing contest. But he feels he must share the good news with Little Bear, his miniature Indian friend who inspired the winning entry. Omri isn't prepared for what he finds when he ventures back into the cupboard that magically transforms the plastic toy into a real life Iroquois Indian.

Desperate to help Little Bear, Omri must find a way to transport himself to the world of the Native Americans. In the process he learns a lot about these amazing people, as well as about himself.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this sequel to the acclaimed The Indian in the Cupboard, Omri decides to see Little Bear again and turns the key that brings the three-inch toy to life. Ages 8-12. (October)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7 A little over a year has passed since Omri's adventures with a cupboard that could magically bring plastic toys to life. Excited by a prize he won for a story about his adventures with the cupboard, Omri wants to share the news with Little Bear. His joy evaporates when he activates the cupboard and finds a critically wounded Little Bear. Omri and his friend Patrick find and bring to life a small plastic nurse who saves Little Bear, but the tiny Iroquois chief is determined to return to his village, which is under attack from the French. Unsure of what to do, the boys assemble an army of plastic Indians and equip them with modern machine guns. The Indians are devastated, and Little Bear, depressed by his failure, withdraws until he learns of his new son and of Omri's successful story. This is a wonderful sequel, beautifully recreating the magic of the original while adding a darker thread of reality. Banks' rich style brings all of the characters to life. Readers experience the boys' delight in their creation as it is tempered by the realization that their casual actions are having drastic results on real people who have magically become living toys. Of course this is a fantastic situation, but Banks manages to validate it with her realistic details and believable emotions. Highly recommended for fantasy readers and adventure lovers, but be sure that they have read The Indian in the Cupboard (Doubleday, 1981) first. Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library