The Key to the Indian

He felt a draft of cold air. Instinctively he put his arms around his body. Then he looked down at himself and got a shock. He was naked...His first instinct was to hid. he scrambled over the earth floor of the longhouse and ducked under the curtain. Beyond was deeper darkness, but he could make out a sort of room with a raised section against the wall. On this was a mountain range covered with fur, in the shape of a sleeping giant.

Omri stared all around, feeling the beginnings of panic. Dad he whispered as loudly as he dared...

There was no answer. Omri felt intensely vulnerable with no clothes on. Cold air embraced his skin from head to foot. He felt a sudden longing to go home. He hadn't reckoned on this--being separated from his dad, it being so dark and cold, so strange, so lonely.

About the Author
Watling, James: - Avi is the highly respected author of the Scott O'Dell Award winning The Fighting Ground and the Newbery Honor Books The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing but the Truth. A former resident of Providence, Rhode Island, Avi now lives in Boulder, Colorado.

James Watling has illustrated many children's books with historical themes including The First Thanksgiving by Linda Hayward. He lives near Montreal, Canada.Banks, Lynne Reid: -

Lynne Reid Banks is a bestselling author for both children and adults. She grew up in London and became first an actress and then one of the first woman TV reporters in Britain before turning to writing. She now has more than forty books to her credit. Her classic children's novel, The Indian in the Cupboard, has sold more than ten million copies worldwide and was made into a popular feature film. Lynne lives with her husband in Dorset, England.