The Best At It shows readers that embracing your multicultural identity has positive consequences for yourself and your community.

Through The Best At It, Pancholy suggests that ignoring who you are doesn’t work everyone has their own stories to share, and being “the best” version of yourself means embracing your story. Rahul wants to prove that he is just another “normal” kid, so he downplays parts of his identity that his loved ones want to celebrate. He’s thinking about Justin a lot, and popular boys don’t have crushes on other boys. Rahul is aware of the differences between himself and the popular kids at his school. Published in 2019, The Best At It is a contemporary realistic fiction novel that represents multicultural difference as something that should be celebrated, but shares through Rahul’s story that coming to celebrate difference is a personal journey. As one of the few Indian American students at school, and with the annual International Bazar approaching, Rahul tries to figure out how he can “fit in” in a world that seems determined to make him stand out. Rahul relies on his best friend Chelsea and his family for help with trying new things to figure out what he might be the best at. In The Best At It by Maulik Pancholy, 12-year-old Rahul wants to find something he can be the best at in order to get Brett (who always makes fun of him!) to leave him alone. How do you get a bully to leave you alone?īe so good at something that no one can criticize you – that’s what Rahul Kapoor thinks, at least.

Maulik pancholy the best at it