The Indian in the Cupboard

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Lynne Reid Banks has an uncanny knack of making you feel as though you are their with the characters in her stories. As you read through this magical omnibus, you will probably forget the time, place and date that you are in and be transported to this magical world. A wonderful, magical book that will enchanted and capture readers of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Considerate and innocent, this book is a classic
Review: This book is soulful and fun, introducing a new kind of idea. Omri is a lovable character and it is fun to watch him take responsibility for the indian. The sequels are not quite as good and all of them lack the innocence of the first. The movie adds very little, but is a classic in it's own right and portrays the book as few better than most movies that portray books. Good fun, easy reading, and a happy, warm feeling make this an excellent book

Rating:
Summary: The book is a good book for kids.
Review: It all starts out when Mark got a cupboard for his birthday. When you put in a doll it turns into a human but one day his cousin came over and put a cowboy in the cupboard and Mark got real mad because there was already an indian and he said indians and cowboys don't get alog after a little while they started fighting, and shooting each other.Mark did not want them too kill each other so he put both of them back in the cupboard, and they turn back into dolls

Rating:
Summary: Book of choice for those who enjoy excellent reading
Review: What do you get when you mix together imagination, toys, conflicting friends, and Indians? You get "The Indian in the Cupboard" written by Lynne Reid Banks, that inspired the motion picture. The main character of this story, Omri, is given a cupboard found in the alley by his brother. Omri's mother noticing that he was less than thrilled attempts to cheer Omri up by giving him a key from her grandmother. Using the key and the cupboard Omri discovers that the two make plastic toys like Omri's plastic Indian come to life. This charters an adventure that both young and old will be entertained by. Lynne shows true imagination mimicking the natural imagination that all of us can relate to as children

Rating:
Summary: What Happened With Little Bear?
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Story
Review: 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:
Summary: Racist
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: the racism overrides anything else
Review: I am appalled that all these reviewers are either ignoring or are unaware of the offensive stereotypes in this book. If you read ANY multicultural education literature, this book is at the top of every list of offenders. In this day in age, we need to do better for our children.

Rating:
Summary: A stunning imaginative journey
Review: This book is fascinating in many regards. One, it's got magic: a real, true, amazing bit of magic. Two, it explores the friendship between two kids, complete with the sudden I-hate-yous and all. Three, it presents children with some thought-provoking scenarios. Should the children continue to make people until everybody has a wife, etc, or should the children return all the people to plastic after they've witnessed the real emotions and personalities of those people. The book asks deep moral questions in a way that kids can handle.
This would be a great book to read aloud. It's got enough action and a fast-paced storyline that kids would just love to hear you read it.

Rating:
Summary: Review of the Audiobook - Educators Beware
Review: I recently purchased the audiobook of The Indian in the Cupboard for use in my classroom. I work with students who struggle with their reading and reading along with an audiobook increases student comprehension of the material. I was disappointed to discover that the author (Lynne Reid Banks) changed parts of the audio version. At first, I only noticed a few changes, such as trousers for leggings. Then I discovered that she completely changed parts of the text by doing adding descriptions and by changing Little Bear's name to Little Bull. I'm not sure why the author felt it necessary to make these changes, but it makes it difficult for students to follow along in the book when the audiobook does not follow the text word for word. If you plan to use the audiobook in an educational setting, be aware of these changes.

On the plus side, Lynne Reid Banks has a very pleasant reading voice. It is enjoyable to listen to her.