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What would you do if you had a magic cupboard that could change plastic figures into living, breathing, humans? What do you think plastic figures would be like if they were alive? That is what happened to a toy named Little Bear, one of the main characters of a book called The Indian In The Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks. Little Bear had to make a decision to either risk getting seen, or not be a human at all.
Little Bear is a plastic Indian figure that got turned into a small human. At first, Little Bear is very uncooperative. He doesn't like Omri (the boy who made him into a toy), no matter what Omri did for him. Omri tried to be nice to Little Bear, but it was very hard for him. Little Bear was also wild, which drove Omri out of his mind. Little Bear was a big pain in the neck!
As time went on, Little Bear got worse. He declared himself chief, and made Omri follow all of his orders. No matter what Omri did for Little Bear, Little Bear would always complain. Omri was on his last nerve, but he managed to at least try to get along with Little Bear. Little Bear was starting to see that Omri was not going to hurt him, and that Omri was his friend.
Gradually, Little Bear learned how to be a nicer, calmer, person. Omri and Little Bear had become good friends, and Omri had to decide whether to turn Little Bear back into a plastic figure, or keep him as a living human. Though Omri had a hard decision, he did what was best for Little Bear. What do you think he did? Read the book and find out!
Rating:  -
I recommended this book for a children's book club because it covers the topics of friendship and loyalty, but also the responsibilities that come with friendship. I read the book myself, as an adult, and found it "lovely" and exciting at the same time. My eleven year old daughter loved the book (she knows the book thorugh school), too.
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This was a great book, but it didn't hook me. Lynne Reid Banks is a great writer and I love her books! The Indian in the Cupboard was exciting at times, yet dull at others. If yu like magical stories, you should read this book!
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Omri is an ordinary British boy who stumbles on an extraordinary secret when he accidentally brings one of his Indian (Native American, that is) action figures to life. But he quickly learns that "his" Indian is a living, breathing being who has been taken from the life that he used to live. Omri and his friend are torn between a desire to toy with the magical forces they've been given, and a sense of responsibility to those whom their awesome powers affect.
This book is remarkable in that it doesn't write down to children; the language and sentence structures are both very sophisticated compared to other books written for the same age group. It also blends perfectly the ordinary character of Omri, and the magical forces that he encounters.
Unlike many children in these kinds of stories, Omri does just what any of us might do, and the plot challenges him in imaginative, yet realistic, ways.
Children will become addicted to these characters, and rush out to read the other books in the series. And adults should appreciate the lessons that the book teaches: most importantly, about respecting those over whom you have power (not that there's even a hint of preachiness). Also, an adult who is bored with reading children's books at bedtime might find this story as compelling as their child will.
As far as the charges of racism go, I can see how the portrayal of Little Bear's broken english and tendency toward violence might be seen as offensive. But I think the stereotypes are extended to the Texan cowboy (so that it's not as if Indians are being specifically targeted), and more importantly, the book goes to great lengths to teach Omri and the readers to respect Little Bear as a person. Omri feels awe as he learns about another culture, and learns that, despite their vast differences, he and Little Bear are alike in many ways, and can learn to love each other. So, I think that this book does more good than harm for race relations among its readers.
Rating:  -
If I could have given this book a rating of zero stars - I would have. Yes, it is an intersting story. I'm sure many children and adults enjoy it. However, the racist ideas in the book only put the image of Native Americans as savages deeper into the mind of readers. It would be an excellent book if it were not so racist & culturally inaccurate.
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