First sentence: My life in Taiwan is sweet.

Premise/plot: Cici, our heroine, is reluctant to move to Seattle with her family. She loves how things are in Taiwan. And she'll have to leave her grandmother behind. As she adjusts to life in a new country--new city, new school--she finds her own way to belong. But, of course, her missing her grandmother continues despite the making of new friends. Then Cici has an idea, what if she can win enough money in a cooking contest to buy her grandmother a plane ticket to come visit! (Her grandmother's birthday is coming up!)

But does Cici have what it takes to win BIG?

My thoughts: I definitely loved this graphic novel. I loved Cici's special relationship with her grandmother. I loved how the two bonded over cooking. I loved how they were able to stay in touch. I love how thoughtful, sweet, and sensitive Cici is. Readers see Cici at home, at school, at the library, and yes, at the cooking contest! I loved how the cooking contest is presented throughout the book.

One of my favorite things was how Cici was inspired by Julia Child. Watching her shows and reading her book(s), she walks away with the notion of conviction of courage. "I'm going to try and flip this over, which is a daring thing to do. When you flip anything, you really must have the courage of your convction...the only way to learn how to flip things is to just flip them" (122/123).

This coming of age novel was lovely. Loved the celebration of family, friendship, and new beginnings. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for an ARC.
All opinions are my own.

Measuring Up is a sweet book for middle grades, 4th-6th. It tells the tale of a girl who feels nervous at a new school to fit in. She participates in a cooking competition and decides to only cook traditional Taiwanese.

I love any story that has food in it. It left me feeling hungry for the delicious meals described and satisfied at the story.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I love watching cooking shows like Chopped, so I figured this would be right up my alley. This was such a charming graphic novel - I loved the storyline of Cici working so hard in the cooking competition to bring her grandmother to America. This is full of spice, colorful illustrations, as well as friendship, family, and learning to love oneself.

This is perfect for fans of Real Friends and the Smile series. I will definitely be adding a copy to my own classroom library!

I'm a big fan of books for kids that have a focus on cooking, that show us kids exploring cuisines and experimenting with combinations. This particular book also goes deep on the ways that food is inextricably tied to culture. There's a whole sequence about rice and how it is cooked and used differently by different cultures. While the other plot elements (being the new kid, cultures clashing, parental expectation) are fairly standard for middle grade fiction, the exploration of food really sets this apart. The plot is easy to follow and makes for a very pleasant read.

A very sweet graphic novel about a girl trying to raise money for her grandmother to come visit her in America by using the thing that bonded them in the first place - cooking. Love the story and the characters.

What a delightful book! This story will especially appeal to those young readers who enjoy cookbooks and creating imaginative dishes of food.
So many themes are explored in this book. It encompasses the strangeness of moving to a new home but it is even more unsettling because Cici, the main character, is moving to a new country where customs are so different from what she has known. Making new friendships among fellow classmates but, at the same time, competing with them for distinction, is discussed.. The embarrassment of hiding the truth from new friends about parents' expectations for themselves.is included. Above all, the idea of love and family unity is all-pervasive.
The most fun was the contest where Cici and the other participants were made to create original recipes from the ingredients they were obligated to use. Imaginations ran wild and so were the results. Learning about Cici's Taiwanese culture, along with new vocabulary, added to the fun. This is sure to be a hit!

This was a fun read! I have many students who enjoy cooking and will like this aspect of the book. The story of the main character trying to fit in is also one that is relatable to everyone, but still opens a window for those who haven’t experienced being an “other” in the same way.

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!

This book was cute and hopeful. I loved the idea and how everything played out. In this book, Cici, a girl who has just moved to Seattle, desperately wants to see her grandmother again. The problem is, Cici doesn't have enough money to bring her to the US. Then she decides to enter in a cooking competition to get the money. It is so sweet and I definitely enjoyed reading it. Good for readers around the ages of 8-11.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
Cici's family moves to America but her grandmother stays behind in Taiwan. She makes new friends and discovers how much she enjoys cooking as it reminds her of her A-ma (grandmother). In fact, she enters a cooking competition to earn money fly her grandmother to Seattle for her dad's birthday. Readers will relate to her feelings of loneliness and not fitting in a well as family struggles and expectations. Some will see themselves as immigrants learning new norms.
The artwork captures the story and brings out the background for the text. Hope we see a sequel.

Cici is enjoying her life in Taiwan until the day her parents decide to move the family to Seattle. Cici has to leave behind her farmers' market tradition, her friends, and worst of all, her grandmother, who is unable to get a green card. At first, she dreads the change, and is afraid that she will be singled out as different at school.
Soon, she befriends Jenna and Emily, two white classmates who may not understand her completely, but always have her back and stick up for her, While out with them one day, she sees a poster promoting an upcoming kids' cooking competition with a grand prize of $1,000. With that money, Cici's grandmother can be flown out to Seattle to celebrate her seventieth birthday with her family.
For the first few rounds, Cici is paired up with Miranda, whose family owns a fancy restaurant and has taught her everything she needs to know already. Miranda initially tells Cici that the judges don't want any Taiwanese food and that they need to make something "fancy," but after surviving three rounds, they eventually become friends.

*spoiler*

My favorite part is that Cici actually won the contest! In basically every contest book, the main character doesn't win and the author tries to force "it's okay to not get what you want" sometimes, but why can't kids have hope or see their favorite character succeed? Happy endings are not overrated in any way.

I absolutely adored this vibrant and charming graphic novel. As the daughter of immigrants, the idea of connecting with your culture through food resonated with me. I also enjoyed how the main character discovered the similarities between her culture and others. Very highly recommend!

Cici moves to America from Taiwan and enters a cooking competition in order to win money to bring her grandmother over for a visit for her 70th birthday. Cici learns to make friends and to just be herself.

The story of Cici is one similar to other newcomer stories for tweens. It is reminiscent of Yang's "American Born Chinese" in which Cici worries about fitting in, having to explain her nationality, and worries about what her friends will think of her home. She enters a cooking contest in hopes of winning so that she can bring her grandmother to America as a surprise for her father. While feeling the pressure from her father to be perfect in school, she strives to become the best chef with a little help from her grandmother and Julia Child. The conflict within the story is with Cici herself, and the tension from her father's expectations. The graphic novel format makes the story engaging to read. The end is predictable, but would be satisfying to the middle level reader.

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 Telgemeier graphic novels.

Such a fun book filled with so much heart! I really enjoyed this one and I think a lot of my middle grade, teen, and more will really enjoy this! I am excited to get the real thing in my hands to get a closer look at some of the pages and the layouts. I love books with cooking and family!

Measuring Up is just filled with so much heart! I can not wait to give this to my library patrons! The art is bright and colorful and there's just something about the way that Xu draws eyes that I really love. Highly suggest as a first-purchase for all libraries serving middle grade populations!