Measuring Up: A Graphic Novel

by Lily LaMotte, Ann Xu (Illustrator)

Twelve-year-old Cici has just moved from Taiwan to Seattle, and the only thing she wants more than to fit in at her new school is to celebrate her grandmother, A-má’s, seventieth birthday together.

Since she can’t go to A-má, Cici cooks up a plan to bring A-má to her by winning the grand prize in a kids’ cooking contest to pay for A-má’s plane ticket! There’s just one problem: Cici only knows how to cook Taiwanese food.

And after her pickled cucumber debacle at lunch, she’s determined to channel her inner Julia Child. Can Cici find a winning recipe to reunite with A-má, a way to fit in with her new friends, and somehow find herself too?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Food, Fiction, Comics, Family

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2020

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

After Cici and her family move from Taiwan to Seattle, Cici wants her grandmother, A-ma, to come visit but the travel expenses are very expensive, so Cici decides to enter a kids' cooking contest where she can win a cash prize. Cici meets new friends through the contest, learns a lot about cooking (with the help of Julia Child videos), and struggles to balance school and her father's expectations with her desire to cook and bring A-ma to visit.

I enjoyed this graphic novel with full color art. The story is fully-developed with lots of friendship and just enough conflict. - Diana F.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl from Taiwan enters a cooking contest in Seattle, her new hometown. Can she win and earn the money her family needs to bring grandma to the US to celebrate her 70th birthday? The contestants are given a feature ingredient for each week. It is fun to see what they create. I have watched kid's cooking contests and there are some amazing young cooks around our country. This graphic novel combines a new immigrant experience with learning about foods that are new (like potatoes in Cici's case). The title illustrates the cooking theme along with Cici's need to live up to the expectations her parents have for her academically and their career goals. Really well done!

Thank you to Harper Alley and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[orangerful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great middle grade graphic novel that appears to be about food and fitting in on the surface, but quietly also addresses issues with pressure from your family, growing up and finding your path, the immigrant experience and friendship.

It will make you hungry for all the food that the characters cook during their kitchen challenges!

Good pick for fans of 'Smile' who are on the younger end of the age spectrum.

[Melina Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falei um pouco sobre essa leitura nesse vlog: https://youtu.be/p5QX-PR52hY

[Ms. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars because I finished it in one sitting. It's been a long time since I could say that about any book (that is not a picture book).
Cici and her family move from Taiwan to Seattle. Even though Cici seems to be adjusting to life in her new home, she misses her grandma who did not make the move with her and her parents. A plane ticket costs more than grandma can afford. When Cici and a new friend discover a local cooking contest for kids, Cici wants to enter. If she wins, the prize money will be enough for a plane ticket.
Anyone who likes graphic novels and happy endings will enjoy this heartwarming story about cooking, family and friendship.

[anne larouche · Rating 4 out of 5]

vraiment vraiment frais

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✨

Very cute, heartwarming, and charming 💖.

Wasn't sure of it in the beginning (it seemed a bit rushed to me in the early chapters) but it quickly won me over.

All the food they were making sounds so yummy! Gonna have to go through this with my mom and try a few one day soon.

Art work: 3.5 stars 🌟
Story: 3.5 stars 🌟

[Livia Blackburne]

Food is such a big part of Chinese and Taiwanese culture, and food and love are so entwined in many families, including my own. I absolutely loved this spunky middle grade graphic novel about a Taiwanese immigrant girl determined to win a cooking contest so that she can buy a plane ticket for a grandmother to visit her in the states. So many themes here: immigration, missing a loved one, combining cultural identities, parental expectations. And I’ve always a sucker for fancy foods.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope to put Measuring Up into the hands of all my students this coming school year!

Celebrating cultural identity, teamwork, friendships, and family dynamics were all strong themes. Lovely art. Well-paced. Highly recommended for grades 4-6!

[Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED this one. Thirty second review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaKqhJ6JumQ/

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and sweet comic about cooking, family, and friendship. Cici connected with her grandmother in Taiwan over their love of food and flavors, and she'd heartbroken to leave her grandma behind when her parents re-locate to Seattle. She wants her grandma to come visit as soon as possible, but plane tickets are very expensive. Then Cici sees a local cooking contest for teens with a $1000 prize for the winner. In true Great British Bake Off style, most of the contestants end up rooting for each other, and even becoming friends. Cici's main conflict is with her father, who thinks she should spend the time she uses practicing for the cooking contest to study for school tests instead. At school Cici navigates being a recent immigrant and some culture clashes, but ultimately her bright spirit and determination win through.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

A girl from Taiwan enters a cooking contest in Seattle, her new hometown. Can she win and earn the money her family needs to bring grandma to the US to celebrate her 70th birthday? The contestants are given a feature ingredient for each week. It is fun to see what they create. I have watched kid's cooking contests and there are some amazing young cooks around our country. This graphic novel combines a new immigrant experience with learning about foods that are new (like potatoes in Cici's case). The title illustrates the cooking theme along with Cici's need to live up to the expectations her parents have for her academically and their career goals. Really well done!

[Wendy | Wendy’s Inspired Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was beautiful 😭
The message of blending different races and backgrounds together.
So wonderful! ♥️♥️♥️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[aarya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute MG graphic novel about a Taiwanese immigrant middle schooler participating in a cooking competition. Read via library.

[Nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I didn't always love the art style but the story is sweet and important.

2022 Asian Readathon: 5. Read a high rating OR was highly recommended by an Asian author.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Measuring up is a great story with a lot of heart. I loved watching Cici learn about herself as she explored her love of cooking.

[Kerri Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my niece, and was pretty excited to read it myself, being that I'm all about stories centered on cooking, and especially cooking competitions. [If you're guessing we watch a lot of Chopped, Top Chef, Chopped Jr, The Great Food Truck Race, and Guy's Grocery Games* in our house, you would be guessing correctly.]

Measuring Up is super cute and has the potential to be exceptionally memorable. I just think the story falls a little flat/comes up a bit short, especially up against the illustrative talents of Anne Xu.

That's sort of how I end up feeling about most graphic novels, to be honest: I always want the stories to have a bit more depth and breadth than they tend to.

Still, this is a charming book in plenty of places and would make a great addition to any kiddo's library, especially if you have an aspiring chef in your family.

*Plenty of you are probably laughing or rolling your eyes, but I can assure you it's an amazing show and Guy Fieri, despite his insane hair, is an amazing human.

[Five stars for illustrations + three stars for story = Four stars by my imaginary Goodreads math.]

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up really loving this graphic novel about a Taiwanese girl who moves to Seattle and the stigma she faces as an immigrant. Not only was the cooking aspect was fun, all the characters were well-written and I could put myself in their shoes to see things from each of their perspectives.

I also loved how so many things were accurately portrayed such as the pressures of growing up in an Asian household and being expected to excel academically. A quote from the protagonist's dad really stuck out to me:

✨ "When people see us, no matter how American we become, they always see someone who's not like them. We always have to prove ourselves first."

An uplifting story about identity and family and culture, with a very clever and punny title!

[Vi · Rating 5 out of 5]

While my life story varies from that of our protagonist, Cici, how could I not see parts of my own childhood in her story, especially having grown up in the States as the child of immigrant Vietnamese parents? This seemingly lighthearted graphic novel tells us about heartbreak, nostalgia, perseverance, determination, and self-discovery. I cheered for Cici the whole time and found myself wishing I’d had had her courage at in my preadolescent years.

This is a great story of resilience. When I get this lump out of my throat, I’ll share it with my own kiddo.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The only way to flip things is to just flip them."

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you my favorite graphic novel I have ever read. This was absolutely adorable and I loved it. Cici and her family move to America, leaving behind her beloved grandmother. Adjusting to a new school, language, and culture is hard enough for a young girl but she misses her grandmother desperately. When she sees a cooking competition advertised for kids she wants to enter to win the money so her grandma can come for a visit. The illustrations were great but mostly I loved the story and the story of Cici and her family. The cooking bits also made me extremely hungry and the cooking show tie in brought me into the audience. I wish the author had more books out but this is her debut. I am eagerly awaiting more from her. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

[itselv]

قصة مصورة تناقش الهجرة والغربة بطريقة مختلفة، تنتقل بطلة القصة مع عائلتها من تايوان إلى الولايات المتحدة، وهناك، لا تشعر بأن ثقافة بلدها مفهومة، ولذلك، وكأي طفل، تُحرَج منها وتحاول اخفاءها، إلى أن تتعلم بنهاية القصة أننا قد لا نختلف كثيرًا عن بعضنا البعض، وأن الاختلاف يعطي الحياة معنى مختلف، وأبعاد أخرى أكثر جمالًا وامتاعًا.

القصة ناقشت العديد من المواضيع والمشاكل بشكل جدِّي، كاختلاف الثقافات، علاقة الأب بابنته وتعاليمه الصارمة التي وإن كانت تفيدها مستقبلًا فإنها تؤذي علاقتهما الآن، ضعف التواصل بين الاباء والابناء، التأقلم والتكيف مع البيئة الجديدة، واختلاف الاحلام والفرص والامكانيات. ولكن، ومع كل هذه الافكار، استطاعت الكاتبة المحافظة على نبرة قصص الأطفال، فلم تبد القصة صعبة أو كئيبة للنشء، ولم أشعر — من وجهة نظر بالغ — أنها تناولت المواضيع بسطحية، وتحقيق هذا التوازن لهو أمر شديد الصعوبة وتستحق الكاتبة الإشادة على إتقانها لذلك.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Measuring Up is an excellent feel-good, coming-of-age story which pays homage to the love between a granddaughter and her grandmother. This book also tackles themes like Asian culture, immigration, healthy female friendships, and of course, food. It will certainly appeal to Julia Child fans who enjoy middle-grade books about food or those who enjoy watching cooking contests. I loved this heartwarming debut, and would highly recommend.

Read my review on my blog.

[kate. · Rating 3 out of 5]

anyone who loves cooking, culture, and the cute art of ann xu (https://annixu.com 😍) will enjoy this cute middle grade graphic novel!
👏🤗

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cici and her parents move to Seattle from Taiwan. She is sad about leaving and relocating to a new country. But more than anything, she doesn't want to leave her grandmother. The two are very close and spend a lot of time together. They go to the market and cook together all the time.

Cici adjusts to her new life pretty quickly. She is a likable girl and makes two new friends right away. She learns a few things though - don't bring Taiwanese food for lunch and don't ask to sleep over a friends house because her mom will want to sleep over too!

Cici video chats with her grandmother regularly. She would love to have her grandmother visit for her 70th birthday, but plane tickets are expensive. Then one day she sees an ad for a cooking competition. The grand prize is $1000, which is enough to buy her grandmother a plane ticket to America and surprise her father. Cici thinks she can win, but she must learn to cook foods other than Taiwanese dishes. Thank you Julia Child, whose cookbooks were used in this book to teach Cici how to cook other kinds of recipes. The cooking competition is like Chopped and each week teams compete and one group is eliminated. It was fun seeing the different recipes that the kids came up with. Cici is paired with Miranda, a rich girl whose father owns a restaurant. The two form a friendship and still remain friends when they are the last two competitors.

This was a really good story and I think kids will enjoy it. I really liked the cooking competition part of it. This made it different from other graphic novels that I've read. Cici and her friends were all likeable characters. It was sweet reading about Cici and her relationship with her grandmother. The artwork was pretty and did a good job of bringing to life the story.

[Hadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful story that highlighted some of the problems immigrants face, especially kids. It's about trying to fit into a new place while also sticking to your roots, and I love how this was executed, for the most part. Since it's a graphic novel, the story wasn't too deep and obviously lacked detailed descriptions about how everyone felt about certain things. But I still really liked the overall message.

My most favourite part was the wholesome granddaughter - grandmother relationship dynamic. I loved how close they were, and the sacrifices they made for each other (especially Cici, despite being so young). The extra 🌟is just for them 💖

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book about a young girl who comes to Seattle from Taiwan with her family. She wants to raise money to bring her beloved grandmother to visit to surprise her father. I enjoyed the cooking competition and the way the author showed the main character's challenges and concerns of assimilating with American culture and friends. A quick read and one I would add to my classroom library if I was still a teacher.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute graphic novel, I really liked it! Though the artwork was kind of simple, the story really filled in. It was about more than just a cooking contest, and I enjoyed all the layers of this wonderful story.

[Amaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning it was sad, but then it wasn’t that sad. A 12 year-old girl loves cooking but when her helper (her grandmother) isn’t there for her bc they moved what will she do? Will she try to go back to her grandmother or just forget about her? Also, I liked that she is an amazing cook (I want to be an amazing cook one day like my dad).

[Tyffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am happy I read this. It was a required reading for my job and I wasn't really looking forward to it, but this was super cute, inspiring, and a little exciting. I definitely felt hungry afterwards and it inspired me to return to cooking. I used to love cooking and baking, but I've been so busy I let it go. This book reminded me to make time for the things I love. School/work is important, but so is family, friends, and the little joys in life. Very heart-warming.