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Shabash!
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.
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 31, 2018
Some of the parents didn't know what to say when they saw his turban, but a few called him a "towel head" or a "stinking Hindu."
Short-listed for the 1996 Silver Birch Award, Shabash! is a vividly touching and empowering fictional story. Rana, a Canadian Sikh boy from Dinway, British Columbia is the first Sikh to try out and join the minor league hockey team in his community. The gorays, the "whites," are thrown off by a Sikh boy wanting to join "their" league and try to discourage him from playing hockey. What makes matters worse is that Rana has no equipment and can’t even skate! Determined to make the team, in just a few short weeks Rana saves enough money for used equipment, learns how to skate, and is eventually selected to be the team’s goalie. Parents are furious and don't want their children playing with an "Indian." On his quest to prove that he is no different than his goray teammates, Rana discovers that in some ways he is. This gripping, coming-of-age story describes one boy's journey through discrimination, self-identity, self-respect, and prejudices of others as well as his own.
A fast-paced children’s novel with twists and turns, the primary audience for this book are 9-12-year-old boys and girls who play hockey, children who are being discriminated against, children that would like to learn about discrimination, and Sikh children. This is a unique book as it is one of a few Canadian authored books which have a young Canadian Sikh boy as the main protagonist. The book touches upon a lot of current social issues including racism, discrimination, and bullying but does it in such a way that a child as young as 9-years-old can understand and relate to the story. This book would make a great addition to a classroom discussion on racism, discrimination, and bullying.
Short-listed for the 1996 Silver Birch Award, Shabash! is a vividly touching and empowering fictional story. Rana, a Canadian Sikh boy from Dinway, British Columbia is the first Sikh to try out and join the minor league hockey team in his community. The gorays, the "whites," are thrown off by a Sikh boy wanting to join "their" league and try to discourage him from playing hockey. What makes matters worse is that Rana has no equipment and can’t even skate! Determined to make the team, in just a few short weeks Rana saves enough money for used equipment, learns how to skate, and is eventually selected to be the team’s goalie. Parents are furious and don't want their children playing with an "Indian." On his quest to prove that he is no different than his goray teammates, Rana discovers that in some ways he is. This gripping, coming-of-age story describes one boy's journey through discrimination, self-identity, self-respect, and prejudices of others as well as his own.
A fast-paced children’s novel with twists and turns, the primary audience for this book are 9-12-year-old boys and girls who play hockey, children who are being discriminated against, children that would like to learn about discrimination, and Sikh children. This is a unique book as it is one of a few Canadian authored books which have a young Canadian Sikh boy as the main protagonist. The book touches upon a lot of current social issues including racism, discrimination, and bullying but does it in such a way that a child as young as 9-years-old can understand and relate to the story. This book would make a great addition to a classroom discussion on racism, discrimination, and bullying.
November 23, 2010
It was a pretty good book if anyone is teaching about racism this a GREAT book to read with the class !
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April 18, 2012This book is a great book!
November 29, 2014
I had to read this book for school, and I thought it was okay. A solid 3 stars for me in my opinion!
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December 3, 2015The book is really interesting
And this was very easy to read the authors message
And this was very easy to read the authors message
September 22, 2016
Very sweet, simple, well-paced story about racism. Glad this is on my kid's grade 4 curriculum.
October 17, 2021
I read this in elementary, great way to incorporate hockey into a sensitive topic of racism.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews