42 pages 1 hour read

Lily LaMotte, Illustr. Ann Xu

Measuring Up

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

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Chapters 9-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 9 Summary

During Round 2 of the competition, Miranda insists that they’re going to win, saying that hope isn’t enough. The key ingredient for this round is ground beef, and Miranda suggests making Bolognese sauce with bucatini. Cici cooks the noodles. They gather together other ingredients, like olive oil, parmesan, butter, tomato paste, and vegetables.

As they cook, Cici is impressed with how fast Miranda chops the vegetables. Meanwhile, she browns the meat and makes the pasta. She adds chicken liver to give it more flavor. However, Miranda then decides to start the pasta over since it isn’t al dente. Additionally, when they taste the sauce, Miranda is worried that they’ll lose when she learns that Cici added chicken liver.

However, the judge compliments the added chicken liver. The other dishes include tamale pie, meatloaf, meatballs, and chili. When they don’t get eliminated, Miranda and Cici cheer. Miranda suggests that they should hang out. She offers her own home but says that they could also hang out at Cici’s. However, Cici doesn’t think that anyone will understand her family, so she wants to go to Miranda’s.