The Return of the Indian

It's been over a year since Omri discovered in The Indian in the Cupboard that, with the turn of a key, he could magically bring to life the three-inch-high Indian figure he placed inside his cupboard. Omri and his Indian, Little Bear, create a fantastic world together until one day, Omri realizes the terrible consequences if Little Bear ever got trapped in his "giant" world. Reluctantly, Omri sends the Indian back through the cupboard, giving his mother the magic key to wear around her neck so that he will never be tempted to bring Little Bear back to life.
But one year later, full of exciting news, Omri gives way to temptation when he finds that his mother has left the magic key lying on the bathroom sink.
A whole new series of show more adventures awaits Omri as he discovers that his Indian has been critically wounded during the French and Indian Wars and desperately needs Omri's help.
Now, helplessly caught between his own life and his cupboard life of war and death, Omri must act decisively if he is to save Little Bear and his village from being completely destroyed. What began as a harmless game has tumed into a horrible nightmare, a nightmare in which Omri is irrevocably involved, and from which he may never escape. show less

3.5*

I first read this years ago as a child and have just been rereading it with my kids. Plot wise, I didn’t enjoy this sequel as much as the original. It had its moments but just wasn’t as enjoyable a read. The cultural disrespect and racial insensitivity is still present, though a bit less intense than in the first.

This story brings back Omri, Patrick, Little Bear, and Boone to a new adventure. Omri's family has moved and he deals with the skinhead bullies daily on his way home from school. The story opens with Omri learning he has won a prestigious writing contest with his story about a plastic Indian that comes to life in a magic cupboard. To celebrate, he brings back Little Bear and Bright Stars. But when they arrive, Little Bear has been gravely wounded and Bright Stars is not far from having a baby. Patrick is drawn back in to the story (despite his initial reluctance) and they bring Boone back as well.

This story sees the introduction of a new character, Matron, and the loss of Tommy, the World War I medic. This is the first time we see that show more the plastic figures can die in their own times and the cupboard is powerless to bring them back. It is also the first time that Omri and Patrick attempt to change what is happening in Little Bear's time. They buy a lot of plastic Indians and send them back through the cupboard with modern weapons. This, of course, is disastrous.

When the skinheads break into his house, Omri is able to defeat them with a force of plastic soldiers with little machine guns. I liked how the author brought the outside world in to the smaller circle of Omri's life. This is definitely set up for a sequel, as it ends with Little Bear and the others living in Omri's room. This is a good story with lots of humor but serious points as well. Recommended. show less

This is one that really should be read at some point after the original book. Omri awakens his plastic Native American/ real life Native American, Little Bear and discovers that he has been injured in a battle recently. He gets help for Little Bear, but then Little Bear asks for help battling his enemies. Omri and his friend Patrick face the challenge of knowing how to help Little Bear without playing God. There is an additional threat to Omri in the real world- can he use the people from the cupboard for help?

Its been over a year since Omri has seen Little Bear, Boone, and Bright Stars. Omri puts thier plastic figures in his magical cupboard, and thurns the skeleton key. Everyone is fine... but Little Bear, he is on the base of the cupboard, face down, not moving. Omri panics and quickly puts a nurse into the cupboard, her name is Matron, Matron in only a nurse though not a doctor. In less than half an hour Matron has taken the two bullets out of Little Bear's back and everything turned out to be a sucess. After a few days Little bear is fealing a lot better, and askes Omri if he can go back to his time and fight the French, a formal enemy. He also asked Omri if he could get more troops and get guns too, so Little Bear would definetly defeat show more the French. After Omri says yes, he scavages for Indian troops and guns, once Omri made the Indian troops real and taught them how to use a gun they were ready for war. Omri send Little Bear's army back into their own time to fight the French. Will Little Bear army win the war or will they all die.

I give The Return of the Indian **** because it was exciting but had a couple of boring parts. The book was good for most of the time, but at some points it was really boring. I still think that Lynne Reid Banks is a good writer but I think that this book could of been a little better. I also think that the first book of this series, Indian in the Cupboard is better than The Return of the Indian because it has a better plot. I don't really like how the book is about only Little Bear wanting to go back home to fight the French. The book would be a lot better if Bright Stars, Little Bear's wife had more to do in the story or even had a fight with Little Bear. In the book Bright Star is practically quiet the hole entire tim and does not do anything exciting. I hope to read the next book of this series, and hopfully it will be the best of the series. show less

Has the flaws and merits of its predecessor. Fast-paced and imaginative.

Unfortunately, as is usually the case, this sequel, like most others, lack the awe and wonder of the first book.