The Indian in the Cupboard

Our rating: ***½

Omri receives a cupboard and an ancient key for his birthday. That night, he wants to try out the cupboard, so he puts an Indian toy inside, turns the key, and then goes to bed. The next day, Omri opens the cupboard to discover that his toy has become a real live Indian named Little Bear. At first Omri thinks having an Indian living in his room will be fun, but he soon begins to change his mind when Little Bear begins to make demands.

I had heard of this book for most of my life, and finally decided to give it a try when my family picked it up at a book sale. The concept behind the story here is very interesting and worth exploring. Banks’ writing style is quite reminiscent of many of my favorite classic fantasy authors, which drew me into the story even more. My only real problem with The Indian in the Cupboard is with the somewhat clichéd I-can’t-tell-anybody-because-they-won’t-believe-me syndrome that every kid in a fantasy novel seems to have. But if you can overlook that or you don’t mind, this one definitely deserves a look.