A review by erine
Measuring Up by Lily Lamotte

4.0

Cici moves to the U.S. with her family from Taiwan, but they have to leave her grandmother behind. Besides navigating a new school, Cici wants to find a way to bring her grandmother over for a visit. Her opportunity arrives in the form of a cooking contest with a cash prize for the winner. Everything ends up fairly neat and tidy, but the conflicts along the way save the entire book from being too, too sweet. Cici loves cooking, but has a hard time persuading her parents that it's a worthwhile pursuit. She frankly addresses various microaggressions from friends and strangers, the loneliness of moving to a new country, and the joys and struggles of new friendships.