Plot: Omri does not especially care for his brother's birthday gift. The gift, found in a rubbish heap in an alley, is a white, mirrored cupboard. Still, he likes playing with plastic figures, so he places a small Indian in the cupboard and locks it with a key of his mother's. When he opens the cupboard the next day, he is shocked to discover the toy has become a tiny, real, live Indian. While Omri treasures his discovery, the world of full-sized people is no place for a toy-sized one. Such a world becomes more complicated when Patrick, Omri's best friend, uses the cupboard on a plastic cowboy...
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Similar Titles: Return of the Indian in the Cupboard, The Borrowers, James and the Giant Peach
Personal Thoughts: I was really surprised by the positive response I got from this title at work (I read during my breaks). Apparently, both tween boys and tween girls enjoy the novel. I am also a little surprised, given the stress on political correctness, that the book continues to gain favor. Granted, the book is (in my opinion) not racist, but it seems like whenever a question of race arises, books tend to get blacklisted quickly. Anyway, the novel is apparently still used in middle school lessons throughout the country. It provided the basis for a movie in 1995 (with mixed reviews) and launched a series of sequels.
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