Hello, Friday Fiction Friends! Today I’m taking a dash to the past and reviewing a middle-grade classic that has enchanted readers for years. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks is a wonderful fantasy adventure about a boy who has a magical cupboard ( or is it the key?) that can bring plastic toys to life. Here’s more:

It’s Omri’s birthday, but all he gets from his best friend, Patrick, is a little plastic warrior figure. Trying to hide his disappointment, Omri puts his present in a metal cupboard and locks the door with a mysterious skeleton key that once belonged to his great-grandmother. Little does Omri know that by turning the key, he will transform his ordinary plastic toy into a real live man from an altogether different time and place! Omri and the tiny warrior called Little Bear could hardly be more different, yet soon the two forge a very special friendship. Will Omri be able to keep Little Bear without anyone finding out and taking his new friend away?

I love this book because the author draws you right into the story. The descriptions are great and Omri soon discovers that there is a lot to consider when your toys become real. Things I would have never considered. And I love the ending. It all ties up in a good way, though a little sad.

The best part is that Banks wrote four more books in the series. I didn’t even know it was a series. I’ll have to find time to read the others and see what direction the author takes us. I also want to see the movie. 🙂

I believe your children will enjoy The Indian in the Cupboard. (And you will too.)

Click to tweet: Friday Fiction: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks is a wonderful #fantasy adventure about a boy who has a magical cupboard ( or is it the key?) that can bring plastic toys to life. #kidsbooks #classic

Author

  • Jennifer Hallmark

    Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction with a twist. Her website and newsletter focus on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction. She creates stories with unforgettable characters—her stories are a little eerie and otherworldly but with a positive turn. Jessie’s Hope, her first novel, was a Selah Award nominee for First Novel. Her latest novel, Smoking Flax, will be released on January 16th, 2024. When she isn’t babysitting, gardening, or exploring the beautiful state of Alabama, you can find her at her desk penning fiction or studying the craft of writing. She also loves reading and streaming fantasy, supernatural stories, and detective fiction from the Golden Age or her favorite subject—time travel.