262 books
—
557 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Measuring Up” as Want to Read:
Measuring Up
by
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 probl ...more
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 probl ...more
Published
October 27th 2020
by HarperCollins
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Measuring Up,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Measuring Up
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Measuring Up

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. ...more
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. ...more

Oct 20, 2020
Darla
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
graphic-novels
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).
...more

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 h ...more
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 h ...more

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Cici and her family move from Taiwan to the US for better opportunities. Cici settles in fairly well, although she misses her A-má (grandmother) very much, and has to deal with microagressions from people who make fun of her lunches or can't understand that she is Taiwanese and not Chinese. She would love for her A-má to visit for her 70th birthday, but money is too tight. When Cici finds out about a children's cooking competition with a grand prize of $1,000, she ...more
Cici and her family move from Taiwan to the US for better opportunities. Cici settles in fairly well, although she misses her A-má (grandmother) very much, and has to deal with microagressions from people who make fun of her lunches or can't understand that she is Taiwanese and not Chinese. She would love for her A-má to visit for her 70th birthday, but money is too tight. When Cici finds out about a children's cooking competition with a grand prize of $1,000, she ...more

I thoroughly enjoyed this! A fun quest to see family, love and care for others, and discover one's self as a whole!
...more

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
...more

I don't usually read cooking/baking books. I love Cici and Miranda. Just because people tell you , you can't do things because your young, do it anyway. Miranda's dad said'' Miranda your the real chef. Chinese takeout should not have won.'' Don't listen to people who think just because your small you can't do stuff like, cooking, being an actor, become famous, dancing, singing, and a bunch of other stuff. Do what you want to do kids all over the world.
...more

When Cici moves to Seattle from Taiwan, she desperately misses her grandmother and longs for a way to bring her over for a visit, but no one has the money for the plane tickets. So when Cici spies a kids' cooking contest at a local grocery store, she enters, but she finds she has a lot to learn when she's partnered with the daughter of a local restaurateur. This is a heartfelt story about a new immigrant finding her way and it will please young chefs and foodies.
...more

A great graphic novel about the immigrant experience in America, the power of food, and the connections it can build. Cici's confidence grows so much throughout the story and will inspire young readers. I loved learning more about the dishes made; it made the book almost interactive, sharing these recipes. I'm looking forward to reading it in full color!
...more

Immigrant experience combined with a cooking reality show format? So cute, but with something real to say about balancing assimilation with cultural pride. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly but the whole thing was so joyful and sweet.

I just read an ARC of this book. While it was in black & white, not colored yet, I loved the story and the art. Can't wait to see the finished version! If anyone would like to read the ARC, let me know and I can send it over. :)
...more

Nov 01, 2020
Shenwei
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
asian-reads,
by-and-about-poc
I love this book so much pls support it uwu
I would like t0 Fight all the white ppl on Cici's behalf ...more
I would like t0 Fight all the white ppl on Cici's behalf ...more

Review copy: Digital ARC via Netgalley.
I am a complete sucker for stories that include cooking. Cooking is creative and it's really fun to see how the characters show their personalities and skills as they compete. It's also a story of immigration and family expectations. Cici gets to know a few peers and while many things they do appear to be quite different, she sees that the essence of what they do is often the same.
This will likely appeal to fans of Shanon Hale, Victoria Jamieson and Raina ...more
I am a complete sucker for stories that include cooking. Cooking is creative and it's really fun to see how the characters show their personalities and skills as they compete. It's also a story of immigration and family expectations. Cici gets to know a few peers and while many things they do appear to be quite different, she sees that the essence of what they do is often the same.
This will likely appeal to fans of Shanon Hale, Victoria Jamieson and Raina ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

such a lovely middle grade graphic novel about 12yo cici from taiwan whom parents decided to immigrate to america.
as an asian, i can totally relate to cici's relationship with her parents; like getting good grades in school, being protective when it comes to hanging out with friends etc. cici is very close with her grandma and thats where she decided to join a cooking competiton in order to buy a flight ticket for her grandma to visit her (and to surprise her dad) in america. the story totally ...more
as an asian, i can totally relate to cici's relationship with her parents; like getting good grades in school, being protective when it comes to hanging out with friends etc. cici is very close with her grandma and thats where she decided to join a cooking competiton in order to buy a flight ticket for her grandma to visit her (and to surprise her dad) in america. the story totally ...more

It's through cooking that Cici has formed a strong bond with her grandmother in Taiwan. Now, living in the US, Cici uses her skills to compete in a cooking contest, hoping to win the prize money to purchase a ticket for her grandmother to come for a visit. Through Cici's story we see what it's like for young immigrants trying to assimilate into American culture. For the most part, things go smoothly but there are some examples of microaggression and cultural insensitivity/ confusion. Through her
...more

This book was not at all on my radar. One of my favorite library kids gave it an enthusiastic 5 stars so I picked it up and oh my goodness what an absolutely delightful middle grade graphic novel! It was a lovely mashup of all my favorite cooking competition shows with a sweet story about an immigrant girl growing into a new home and finding herself. I loved it.

Taiwanese mixed with Julia Childs: don’t knock it until you try it. Adorable graphic novel about immigration, friendship, a cooking competition and family. Heart warming. Feel good. Recommended for anyone who likes to bake and cook. Illustrations match the storyline perfectly. A great blend of story and panels.

Jan 29, 2021
Katie Lawrence
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novel
Using a little time to catch up on later 2020 graphic novel releases. This was really well done. I love the combination of cooking, celebrating diversity, addressing microaggressions, moving, missing people. Really well done. A great celebration of Cici and her Taiwanese culture too. The inclusion of an excellent librarian who introduces Cici to Julia Child also didn't hurt.
...more

Super fun graphic novel for middle grades. Cici who is very bonded with her A'ma/grandmother moves to the US and faces challenges but finds herself in a cooking contest hoping to win the cash prize to bring her A'ma for a visit...Friendships, parenting demands, new culture norms and all the rest of coming of age is all here...
...more

Jun 24, 2020
Andrew
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
graphic-novel
When Cici and her parents move from Taiwan to Seattle, they must leave her A-má behind. Cici is determined to have her visit soon, but it's an expensive wish to fulfill. However, there's a kids cooking contest nearby, and the prize is a hefty sum of money-- a perfect solution! A love of cooking is something Cici and her A-má share, and Cici is ready to put her skills to the test. I inhaled Measuring Up like a delicious dish-- I especially loved Cici's growing friendship with Miranda, her contest
...more

Measuring Up is a great addition to middle grade graphic novels. You can't help but love Cici who loves her grandmother and comes up with a plan for how to bring her to Seattle from Taiwan. The cooking competitions are page turners as you wondered what each of the kids would come up with, given the chosen ingredient by the judges. I loved the addition of Cici's interest in Julia Child! Cici's story shares the struggles immigrants face as well as the triumphs!
...more

Jan 10, 2021
Sarah
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
fiction
My eight-year-old daughter and I loved this graphic novel. If you love cooking shows and themes about following your dreams, friendship and family, you will love Measuring Up. This was such an uplifting book and the artwork was on point.

I did an author talk with Lily LaMotte a few days ago, so I was excited to read this debut graphic novel by her. She definitely did not disappoint. This middle grade read touches on the 3 most important F's...friendship, family and food! I can't wait to see what this author cooks up next!
...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Related Articles
Tami Charles is a former teacher and the author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made...
44 likes · 65 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »