Book about Palestinian girl causing controversy in Canadian schools

OTTAWA — A children’s novel about a Palestinian girl set against the conflict in the Middle East has sparked outrage in Canada’s Jewish community — with some school trustees demanding the book be removed from reading lists and libraries.

The Shepherd’s Granddaughter, by Canadian author Anne Laurel Carter, tells the story of Amani, a young teenage girl living outside a Palestinian village in the West Bank, who dreams of being a shepherd. The novel — told through Amani’s eyes — also depicts her family members’ losses and their reactions to encroaching Israeli settlements.

It has sold 10,000 copies in total in Canada and the United States.

Although the book was published in 2008, it was chosen this year by the Ontario Library Association as one of 10 finalists for the Red Maple Award, a program intended to foster reading skills for students. Ontario children in Grades 7 and 8 are encouraged — but not required — to read five of the 10 books on the list before voting on their favourit.