Measuring Up
by
Lily LaMotte
illustrated by
Ann Xu
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
HarperCollins
Imprint
HarperAlley
ISBN
9780062973870
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism
Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved to Seattle from Taiwan, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in is to celebrate to A-má's 70th birthday together. Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her and surprise her parents—by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má's ticket!
There's just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food. And after her pickled cucumbers are mistaken for worms at lunch, she's determined to cook something American. Channeling her inner Julia Child, she cooks her way closer to the prize money—that is until she starts to lose herself in the competition. But Cici can't let A-má down, even if it means combining her newfound American identity with the flavors of home.
Cici navigates the blending of her Taiwanese culture and her new American identity with heart and bravery. Measuring Up combines the popularity of MasterChef Junior with the immigration and identity struggles of American Born Chinese and the girl power of Roller Girl.Full-color digital illustrations created with Adobe Photoshop.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism
Details
Format
Page Count
208
Trim Size
8" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
3: points 1
Lexile
HL360L
Genre
Fiction
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Dec 2020
Book Genres
Graphic Novels
Topics
Taiwan. Seattle, Washington. Moving households. Immigration. Grandmothers and granddaughters. Cooking competitions. Research. Practice. Asian Americans. Taiwanese cooking. Friendship.
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
Horn Book
In this encouraging—and nourishing—graphic novel, twelve-year-old Cici’s family moves to Seattle from Taiwan, taking her away from her beloved A-má, who has always nurtured Cici’s interest in cooking. After starting at a new school and feeling lonely—despite some well-meaning but culturally clueless new friends—Cici enters a cooking competition for the prize money: she wants to buy A-má a plane ticket to Seattle for her seventieth birthday. Her competition partner dismisses Cici’s Taiwanese culinary expertise in favor of her own knowledge of Italian cuisine, but she comes to appreciate Cici’s kitchen prowess as they bond outside of the competition. The narration occasionally sounds stilted (“That drummer sure can jam”) but becomes more natural as our protagonist grows more self-assured. Chapter-heading decorations slowly bloom into fully formed cherry blossoms, gently symbolizing Cici’s development and newfound confidence and also hinting at an imminent reunion with her A-má. Xu’s simple line art and minimal backgrounds can make panels feel too spare, but expert coloring by Sunmi enlivens the spreads. The warmest images appear when Cici creates her dishes for the competition and deeply connects with friends and family. NIKI MARION
School Library Journal
Gr 3-7-Twelve-year-old Cici and her parents have moved from Taiwan to Seattle, leaving not only Cici's friends behind but her beloved A-ma as well. A-ma, with whom Cici would visit the market every morning and practice cooking favorite recipes, is about to turn 70, and Cici's biggest wish is for her Grandmother to fly to Seattle and celebrate with the whole family. But how can they afford the expensive plane ticket? A potential solution appears in the form of a cooking contest at a local shop-Platinum Jr. Chef ("because platinum is obviously better than iron"), featuring a $1,000 prize! But Cici wonders: Will the judges accept her Taiwanese cooking, or will she have to quickly learn American recipes? As she moves through the contest, Cici makes new friends, draws strength and inspiration from her family's traditions and from lessons learned in her new home, and discovers the power of trusting her convictions. Cici is a plucky, bighearted protagonist, tackling head-on the many challenges her new circumstances throw at her, such as coping with a steady barrage of microagGressions, trying to fit in, and finding a way to reconcile the demands of American kid-hood with her parents' hopes and expectations. Bright, full-color illustrations bring the story to life. Clean and expressive line drawings on simply colored backGrounds leave lots of room for the story's big emotions, while also allowing for the delightful level of finer detail that is employed for the cooking sections. VERDICT Purchase wherever feel-good family stories are in demand, and recommend especially to readers who love cooking-filled comics.-Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Lib. Syst., Bellport, NY
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8
Book-length narratives presented in comic book style, graphic novels foster both visual and verbal comprehension skills while exposing readers to interesting dialogue and satire, as well as affirming diversity.
JLG's selection of these unique books, some of them only published in softcover, are ideal for attracting reluctant readers and introducing them to literature they might not encounter otherwise. You may find that the 12 books in this category will turn your reluctant readers into eager readers.
14 books per Year
$293.02 per Year
Interests
Diversity,ESL,Fiction,Graphic Novels,Reluctant Readers,Transitional Readers,Funny/Humorous
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$293.02 per Year
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