“My life in Taiwan is sweet.”

From Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu’s Measuring Up.

Living in Taiwan, Cici’s time is filled with friends, delicious food, and lots of time with her grandmother, or A-Má. Cici loves nothing more than cooking with A-Má and learning how to make the comfort food that has supported her family for years. However, when Cici’s parents announce that they’re moving to America without A-Má, Cici is heartbroken. In America, Cici is able to make a few friends, but she is nervous about showing them all of her family’s customs, from religion to cooking. Cici’s biggest problem is how much she misses A-Má, and she knows that her father misses his mother too, so Cici decides to surprise her father with a visit from A-Má… if she can just find a way to pay for the plane ticket. When Cici sees an advertisement for a junior cooking competition with a large cash prize, she signs up and is partnered with Miranda, the daughter of a restaurant owner. While Cici knows lots of Taiwanese cooking, she feels lost with American cooking, especially when compared with the knowledgable Miranda. Desperate to get the money for A-Má’s ticket, Cici tries to build her cooking experience with a cookbook from Julia Child. However, as Cici moves through the competition, she struggles to find the balance between the food of her birth country and the food of her new home, all in search of the perfect dish to win the competition.

LaMotte’s story is sweet and fun and Xu’s illustrations easily help the reader connect with the characters. The story will appeal to both fans of cooking and those trying to balance old and new cultures. Measuring Up highlights the importance of seeing individuals instead of general assumptions, and will be an easy hit with young readers of all backgrounds.