- Short-listed, Silver Birch Award
As a Sikh living in small-town British Columbia, Rana knows he is different; in fact, he is the first Sikh in Dinway to join the hockey team. But Rana persists, making the team, and meets Les, who becomes a new friends. But the jibes from his teammates and community members continue. Finally, just before the most important game of the season, an extraordinary event interrupts the lives of everyone in Dinway, and Rana explodes in anger, risking his membership.
close this panelAnn Walsh's books received the Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Award. She lives in Williams Lake, British Columbia.
close this panelMany boys Rana's age would have shared the same feelings dealing with discrimination and could easily relate to Rana. Shabash! would make a great addition to a classroom, sparking many interesting discussions. The story not only deals with prejudice but also with how feelings and actions can cause reactions and how we can make a difference just by accepting others as they are.
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