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A review by kitsuneheart
The Return of the Indian by Lynne Reid Banks
4.0
Where the first Indian book was about the magic of childhood and the importance of understanding others, this book takes a bit of a darker turn. Onri brings Little Bear back to tell him a bit of news, only to find that the Iroquois village has been destroyed by the French and his friend nearly killed. Reluctantly, Onri agrees to supply Little Bear with weapons to strike back against the French, but comes to realize that he isn't necessarily supporting the "good" side. Just..._A_ side.
There's a bit of weirdness going on in the background with Onri's family moving into a rougher neighborhood, supposedly for more space, which I hope is explained more in future books. Perhaps it is just a location-vs-price thing, but it feels odd, given how much time is spent focusing on the location.
Overall, an okay sequel. There is still a bit of historical inaccuracy and issues of (mostly unintentional?) racism, so this is not a good pick for a classroom book, anymore. But if your child decides to read it at home and you're okay with that (I think I would be), just make sure to pair their reading with information on real native tribes. You can often find great museum resources in your area for your local tribes, so check them out!
There's a bit of weirdness going on in the background with Onri's family moving into a rougher neighborhood, supposedly for more space, which I hope is explained more in future books. Perhaps it is just a location-vs-price thing, but it feels odd, given how much time is spent focusing on the location.
Overall, an okay sequel. There is still a bit of historical inaccuracy and issues of (mostly unintentional?) racism, so this is not a good pick for a classroom book, anymore. But if your child decides to read it at home and you're okay with that (I think I would be), just make sure to pair their reading with information on real native tribes. You can often find great museum resources in your area for your local tribes, so check them out!