Author: Lil LaMotte
Genre: graphic novel/realistic fiction
Similar books: Original Recipe by Jessica Young
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): 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?
My opinion: 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.
More information: Measuring Up releases October 27.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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