Rahul is wondering how to fit in as he starts seventh grade. As one of only a couple kids of Indian heritage in his small town, he deals with bullies who don't understand his brown skin and the traditional Indian food packed in his lunch every day. It is expected that he is good at math and not much else.
When he seeks advice from his grandfather, he is told to find something he is good at and become the best. Sounds easy, but Rahul is finding it a daunting challenge. Becoming a muscle-bound football star or landing a role in a local commercial sure to skyrocket him to international fame are proving more than he bargained for. What is he good at and will that be the answer to all his problems?
Well, Rahul does excel at math so he eventually joins the Mathletes with the goal of earning them a spot at states for the first time ever. His goal definitely seems achievable, but the stress it creates is much more than he anticipated. Now Rahul's OCD is threatening to get out of control and his secret crush on the amazing Justin is about to leak out with more than its share of issues.
Debut author Maulik Pancholy may just be the "best at it" when it comes to demonstrating the ups and downs of middle school and dealing with cultural differences. Rahul is just one of the quirky characters that will make this fast-paced middle grade novel connect with readers from all sorts of backgrounds. I was rooting for Rahul from page one to the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment