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The Best at It Paperback – Oct. 6 2020
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From award-winning actor Maulik Pancholy comes a hilarious and heartfelt middle grade debut about a gay Indian American boy coming into his own. One of Time Out's “LGBTQ+ books for kids to read during Pride Month,” this is perfect for fans of Tim Federle’s Nate series. A Stonewall Honor Book!
Rahul Kapoor is heading into seventh grade in a small town in Indiana. The start of middle school is making him feel increasingly anxious, so his favorite person in the whole world, his grandfather, Bhai, gives him some well-meaning advice: Find one thing you’re really good at and become the BEST at it.
Those four little words sear themselves into Rahul’s brain. While he’s not quite sure what that special thing is, he is convinced that once he finds it, bullies like Brent Mason will stop torturing him at school. And he won’t be worried about staring too long at his classmate Justin Emery. With his best friend, Chelsea, by his side, Rahul is ready to crush this challenge.... But what if he discovers he isn’t the best at anything?
Funny, charming, and incredibly touching, this is a story about friendship, family, and the courage it takes to live your truth.
- Reading age8 - 12 years
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Dimensions18.29 x 1.27 x 24.89 cm
- PublisherBalzer + Bray
- Publication dateOct. 6 2020
- ISBN-100062866427
- ISBN-13978-0062866424
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From the Publisher
At HarperCollins, authors and their work are at the center of everything we do. We are proud to provide our authors with unprecedented editorial excellence, marketing reach, long-standing connections with booksellers, and insight into reader and consumer behavior. Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement, HarperCollins also uses digital technology to create unique reading experiences and expand the reach of our authors.
HarperCollins was founded by brothers James and John Harper in New York City in 1817 as J. and J. Harper, later Harper & Brothers. In 1987, as Harper & Row, it was acquired by News Corporation. The worldwide book group was formed following News Corporation's 1990 acquisition of the British publisher William Collins & Sons. Founded in 1819, William Collins & Sons published a range of Bibles, atlases, dictionaries, and reissued classics, expanding over the years to include legendary authors such as H. G. Wells, Agatha Christie, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis.
The house of Mark Twain, the Brontë sisters, Thackeray, Dickens, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, and Margaret Wise Brown, HarperCollins has a long and rich history that reaches back to the early nineteenth century and offers our publishing team a depth of experience.
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Review
★ “The protagonist’s devastatingly honest voice pulls readers deeply into a fast-paced journey... heartbreakingly authentic.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “An impressive first novel…wholly engaging.” — ALA Booklist (starred review)
★ “This funny, uplifting story about identity… sends a powerful, positive message to young readers about choosing self-acceptance.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Rahul is a compelling protagonist... Hand this to middle grade readers who are navigating changing social dynamics as they come of age.” — School Library Journal
“An emotional, earnest, and genuine journey to self-love that had me crying, laughing, and cheering. Hilarious and heartbreaking and truly touching—I wanted nothing more than to reach through the pages and give Rahul a big hug for being brave, determined, and the best that he can be.” — Kacen Callender, Stonewall Award-winning author of Hurricane Child
“A funny, fun, big-hearted book filled with characters to adore. Rahul’s journey toward learning to stand up for himself and finding his place in the world is achingly emotionally authentic and deeply resonant. This novel is a joy from beginning to end.” — Anne Ursu, award-winning author of Breadcrumbs and The Lost Girl
“Exuberant... Every middle schooler will find themselves in this book.” — Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series
About the Author
Maulik Pancholy is an award-winning actor whose career has spanned hit television shows (30 Rock, Whitney), animated favorites (Phineas and Ferb, Sanjay and Craig), the Broadway stage, and films. He served on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and he is the cofounder of the anti-bullying campaign Act to Change. Maulik lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband, Ryan, and his dog, T-Rex. The Best at It is his debut novel.
Product details
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition (Oct. 6 2020)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062866427
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062866424
- Item weight : 218 g
- Dimensions : 18.29 x 1.27 x 24.89 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #237,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #14 in Bisexual Fiction
- #264 in Exploring the United States for Children
- #301 in Children's Books on Violence
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries


I have always been a HUGE FAN of Middle Grade Books. Relevant themes dealt with sensitivity, simplicity and clarity. #tween and #teen lives brought to life in all its chaos, confusion and also the journey of self-exploration.
#TheBestAtIt by @maulikpancholy
brings to life the colourful Indian culture of the diaspora in the U.S. I would have liked to see more role for the diverse representation in the book.
I loved the familial equations within the Kapoor clan. The potry and fart talk of the younger brother added more age-wise authenticity to the book.
I absolutely loved it that Ra experiments and puts in a lot of efforts in different fields, as part of his exploration of what he is best at. (I am a big advocate of just putting in efforts, irrespective of the results)
His #anxiety, #SexualOrientation etc are all part of his growth. That made the book more holistic, without being of just one thing.
Read for #PrideMonth #pride🌈 #ReadWithPride #SouthAsianDiaspora #LGBTQA , #MentalHealth


Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on June 27, 2021
I have always been a HUGE FAN of Middle Grade Books. Relevant themes dealt with sensitivity, simplicity and clarity. #tween and #teen lives brought to life in all its chaos, confusion and also the journey of self-exploration.
#TheBestAtIt by @maulikpancholy
brings to life the colourful Indian culture of the diaspora in the U.S. I would have liked to see more role for the diverse representation in the book.
I loved the familial equations within the Kapoor clan. The potry and fart talk of the younger brother added more age-wise authenticity to the book.
I absolutely loved it that Ra experiments and puts in a lot of efforts in different fields, as part of his exploration of what he is best at. (I am a big advocate of just putting in efforts, irrespective of the results)
His #anxiety, #SexualOrientation etc are all part of his growth. That made the book more holistic, without being of just one thing.
Read for #PrideMonth #pride🌈 #ReadWithPride #SouthAsianDiaspora #LGBTQA , #MentalHealth




I am not a pre-teen myself. And while I’ve mentored teens and young adults for decades, I am not currently in the mix with middle-school kids. So why this book? The fact is that I found Maulik Pancholy so genuine and compelling as a speaker and real person—so passionate about this particular book project—that I couldn't help but follow my curiosity and see how he conveyed himself in writing.
I'm pleased to say that I found the book a delightfully accurate reflection of its author: genuine, compelling, passionate.
At the time of purchase, the bold-type header of the synopsis describes this book as a middle grade story “about a gay Indian American boy coming into his own.” And that is true. Yet at the same time—it isn’t.
I’ll illustrate what I mean by analogy. It seems "The Hobbit" was a favorite of both Maulik’s and mine growing up. I felt deeply connected to both Bilbo Baggins and his quest. But was Tolkien’s story “about a reluctant hobbit from The Shire who goes on a quest to save Middle Earth”? Again, yes—but then again, not really.
As far as I was concerned as a reader, it was about ME. I didn’t need to have hairy feet to feel self-conscious about my body. Nor did I need Gandolph’s call in order to experience the gnawing feeling that there must be more to life. I wasn’t thrust into keeping company with dwarves; yet I knew all too well the struggles of fitting in with people who felt very different from myself. With neither Gollum nor a mystical ring, I understood trial and the struggle of trying to do the right thing when faced with temptation; and though I never had to face Smaug, I had plenty of my own dragon’s lurking.
Apply the same mindset to “The Best At It.” Does it matter whether Bilbo or Rahul happen to be my age? Whether the culture, language and customs to which I’m being introduced are those of Middle Earth or of an Indian family from Indiana? Does it matter whether the person we most trust is a wizard or a wise old “Bhai”? Whether the character’s traveling companions are displaced dwarves or math league misfits? Whether the “Big Bad” is a scaly behemoth or the bully next door? Whether the quest is saving a fictional world—or saving ourselves?
That's all to say—I highly recommend "The Best At It" to YOU, regardless of whether or not your personal details happen to match those of the protagonist, Rahul, in every regard. No matter who you are as a reader, I believe you’ll see yourself in the pages of this story. You’ll get wrapped up in it. You'll feel it for reasons all your own.
And that is as every good story should be.


Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 5, 2019
I am not a pre-teen myself. And while I’ve mentored teens and young adults for decades, I am not currently in the mix with middle-school kids. So why this book? The fact is that I found Maulik Pancholy so genuine and compelling as a speaker and real person—so passionate about this particular book project—that I couldn't help but follow my curiosity and see how he conveyed himself in writing.
I'm pleased to say that I found the book a delightfully accurate reflection of its author: genuine, compelling, passionate.
At the time of purchase, the bold-type header of the synopsis describes this book as a middle grade story “about a gay Indian American boy coming into his own.” And that is true. Yet at the same time—it isn’t.
I’ll illustrate what I mean by analogy. It seems "The Hobbit" was a favorite of both Maulik’s and mine growing up. I felt deeply connected to both Bilbo Baggins and his quest. But was Tolkien’s story “about a reluctant hobbit from The Shire who goes on a quest to save Middle Earth”? Again, yes—but then again, not really.
As far as I was concerned as a reader, it was about ME. I didn’t need to have hairy feet to feel self-conscious about my body. Nor did I need Gandolph’s call in order to experience the gnawing feeling that there must be more to life. I wasn’t thrust into keeping company with dwarves; yet I knew all too well the struggles of fitting in with people who felt very different from myself. With neither Gollum nor a mystical ring, I understood trial and the struggle of trying to do the right thing when faced with temptation; and though I never had to face Smaug, I had plenty of my own dragon’s lurking.
Apply the same mindset to “The Best At It.” Does it matter whether Bilbo or Rahul happen to be my age? Whether the culture, language and customs to which I’m being introduced are those of Middle Earth or of an Indian family from Indiana? Does it matter whether the person we most trust is a wizard or a wise old “Bhai”? Whether the character’s traveling companions are displaced dwarves or math league misfits? Whether the “Big Bad” is a scaly behemoth or the bully next door? Whether the quest is saving a fictional world—or saving ourselves?
That's all to say—I highly recommend "The Best At It" to YOU, regardless of whether or not your personal details happen to match those of the protagonist, Rahul, in every regard. No matter who you are as a reader, I believe you’ll see yourself in the pages of this story. You’ll get wrapped up in it. You'll feel it for reasons all your own.
And that is as every good story should be.
