
Written by Lily LaMotte · Illustrated by Ann Xu
Book #1 in the Measuring Up series
A young girl must win a cooking contest to reunite with her grandmother.
Twelve-year-old Cici, new to Seattle from Taiwan, dreams of celebrating her grandmother's birthday together. To bring A-má to her, Cici enters a cooking contest, but she only knows Taiwanese dishes. After a lunchroom mishap, she must master new recipes to win. Can Cici blend cultures, win the contest, and find her place in a new world?
“A beautiful story about food, family, and finding your place in the world.” –Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese and Dragon Hoops “A delicious and heartwarming exploration of identity by a young immigrant trying to find her place in multiple cultures.” –Remy Lai, author of Pie in the Sky and Fly on the WallTwelve-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?
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