A Man With An Agenda

Picking up a year after the events of the first book, 'The Return of the Indian' lacks a lot of the power and insight of the 'The Indian in the Cupboard'. Omri's family has moved to a bigger house in a rougher neighborhood, his friend Patrick has moved away, and he's taunted by skinheads every afternoon on the walk back from school.

Omri has won a writing contest with a story called "The Plastic Indian", and when Patrick comes back to the city for a few days, they decide to bring Little Bear & co. back to life to celebrate. This book is more about Omri and Patrick continuing to learn about the awesome responsibility the cupboard's magic gives them. It comes off to me as a bit of a backpedal when Omri agrees to help Little Bear with a battle against the Algonquins. Deadly consequences are addressed head-on with several events, but the book ends on a hopeful note with new life and Omri and Patrick finally (maybe) learning caution.

Banks is a good writer, but I think she gave in too easily to fan pressure to produce a sequel. 'Return of the Indian' is nowhere near as well thought-out or sensitive as the first one. New characters such as Matron and Corporal Fickits were fun additions, but this serves as a good bridge to later books and little else.

Omri and Little Bear

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