Books › Return of the Indian
Return of the Indian
First published 1989 · 239 pages
A nostalgic return to childhood magic quickly pivots into a tense, high-stakes lesson on the heavy responsibilities of playing god.
What it feels like
Reading this sequel feels like stepping back into a familiar, cozy childhood bedroom only to find the shadows have grown longer and sharper. The gentle wonder of toys coming to life is swiftly replaced by a gripping, urgent tension as the harsh realities of history bleed into the present. It is a briskly paced, sobering adventure that strips away the innocence of its predecessor, forcing the reader to grapple with the heavy, sometimes frightening consequences of wielding magical power. The prose remains incredibly tactile, making the miniature world feel dangerously real and immediate. It will deeply satisfy middle-grade readers who crave fantasy that respects their intelligence, offering a darker, more mature exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the inescapable weight of responsibility.
- Mood
- tense
- magical
- shadowed
- urgent
- Tone
- earnest
- suspenseful
- serious
- nostalgic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- loss of innocence · weight of responsibility · consequences of magic · historical reality · friendship and loyalty
- The writing
- Clear and tactile, treating the fantastical premise with a grounded, almost gritty realism that heightens the suspense.
- The arc
- Begins with a wistful longing for past magic before plunging into a frantic, sobering confrontation with the harsh realities of history and the heavy burden of responsibility.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade readers who enjoy low fantasy where magic has immediate, dangerous, and deeply real consequences.
Content notes
- historical violence
- outdated cultural depictions
- child in peril
- war themes
About the book
This is the 2nd book in the series by Lynne Reid Banks. It follows the first book The Indian in the Cupboard. In this book Omri has moved to a new town and away from his best friend Patrick. Omri decides to use his past experiences from the first book to write a short story which he enters into a competition. All of this causes him to reminisce about the past and he starts to get the urge to bring back his old friend Little Bear. Patrick on the other hand has convinced himself that it was all make believe and that none of it ever actually happened. Omri finally decides to bring back Little Bear to tell him all about his successful short story, but things are not the way he expected them to be. This begins a new adventure in the series which brings old friends back together to tackle new issues that have come up.
Description from Open Library.
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