Books : The Indian in the Cupboard

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Rating:

- Quick service
All books were new as requested. I was really surprised that the books were received so quickly. Great service! I will purchase from this person again.

Rating:

- Good Writing- Appaling Content
As an educator, I am appalled when I find out that other teachers still use this book in their classrooms without discussing the egregious misrepresentation of Native Americans throughout this book. While this book has won critical acclaim for its writing, no level of fine writing will make up for the damage it does to the image of Native Americans. This book portrays Native Americans as unintelligent savages who are ready to attack at any moment. I cringe to think of the Native child who reads this book and self-worth is shattered!

Rating:

- Interesting story
It's Omri's birthday and his brother and his friend have gotten him gifts that don't seem like the best gifts in the world. His brother gave him a cupboard that he found in an alley. And his friend, Patrick, gave him a plastic Indian figure. There's nothing too magical about these items and Omri is less than interested in them until he finds a key among his mother's extra keys that fits the cupboard.

He finds that when he puts a plastic figure in the cupboard and then locks the cupboard with that particular key, the figure comes to life! With a little experimenting, he finds that if he then locks the live figure back in, it returns to its original form.

Now Omri has a live Indian (a very small live Indian) living in his room. Sounds pretty neat, huh? Well, Omri soon finds out that it's not so easy to be responsible for another human being no matter how small they are.

The Indian's name is Little Bear and he makes demands on Omri such as asking for supplies to make a longhouse, paint for decorations and - most importantly - food. Omri has to go to great lengths to help Little Bear while at the same time keeping the Indian a secret from his family and friends. When he finally does tell his friend, Patrick, Omri regrets it.

Patrick wants to play with the cupboard but he doesn't care that the figures are occupied by real human beings with real feelings. This gets both he and Omri in trouble.

This book is an interesting look at what happens when something that seems like it would be the coolest thing can turn out to not be so fun once reality hits. It is also interesting to see the empathy that Omri has for these small beings and how he tries to care for them and show Patrick how to care for them too. It also explores the dynamics of their friendship and touches lightly on the familial interactions between son and parents and brother to brother.

While this is a book about boys, the story is not for boys alone. Girls will enjoy this story about a 'magical' experience. Boys will definitely love this and may even try locking up their action figures in every cupboard in the house to see what happens. It's a quick and interesting read for those who are easily distracted.

I am concerned about the descriptions of all the historical characters especially the Native American (as one reviewer has been specific about the 'racist' nature of it.) So I would not recommend this for someone looking for an accurate description of Native Americans, cowboys or WWI medics but perhaps it could be used to start a discussion about stereotypes. Also I would not recommend this to someone looking for a fantasy novel.

Rating:

- a new dimension
It was interesting and exciting because the plot was unexpected. I liked the stories told by the characters from the cupboard and that they had past lives. Their daily lives were interesting such as the food they ate and the risks they faced. It's a good book to read for kids.

Rating:

- The Indian in the Cupboard
I discovered the story about the Indian in the Cupboard when I saw the film based on the book. I think the book is quite good, but I would like to have more illustrations, because I'm teacher of English for Spanish students and if you want to use the story for early ages (6-8) you'll need more illustrations. But in general I liked this book very much.

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