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Soup (1974)

Soup (1974)

Book Info

Series
Rating
3.95 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0394927001 (ISBN13: 9780394927008)
Language
English
Publisher
knopf books for young readers

About book Soup (1974)

The “Soup” books are Robert Newton Peck’s fictionalized memoirs about his childhood in rural Vermont. Mr. Peck narrates the stories from his childhood perspective, and most of the stories involve the trouble that his best friend dreams up. There doesn’t seem like there’s much to do out in the country, but Rob and Soup put their imaginations to good use. Usually, they end up in hot water as a result!“Soup” is more of a collection of short stories than an actual novel, unlike some of the sequels that follow it. It was interesting to read about how kids lived in the 1930s, and how they faced some of the same challenges that today’s kids do. Some of the stories deal with topics like lying, stealing, and smoking. I’d be willing to bet that even boys who’ve never been to a farm could identify with most of the situations that Rob and Soup find themselves in.When I first read this book, I had no idea that it was a memoir. As it turns out, though, there actually was a troublesome boy named Soup, and he grew up to become a minister! I guess it’s true what they say, you never can tell how some people will turn out. But on that subject, have you ever given any thought to what you’d like to do when you’re older? Do you ever enjoy thinking about your friends, and trying to guess what they might grow up to become? To learn more about the books that boys like, please be sure to check out my new website at http://booksboyslike.blogspot.com/

I must admit, I initially picked this book up just because it was filed next to Richard Peck’s books and looked somewhat similar. And there are certain similarities: a sense of fun, a country feel, and a pile of mischief being notable ones. Soup is a collection of episodes that relate Rob’s friendship with Luther Wesley Vinson, affectionately (or not) known as “Soup.” Rob and Soup get themselves into just about as much trouble as two kids could, and into more than most would have the imagination to. The author walks a fine line in this book, relating a story in which the characters are troublemakers, but in which those characters are also amusing and somehow loveable too. This would be a particularly good read for those who have a strong sense of mischief themselves.

Do You like book Soup (1974)?

The great young adult author Robert Newton Peck wrote this book about growing up in the Vermont countryside in the 1920s with his best friend Soup. There's even a one-room schoolhouse. Soup got his name by answering to his mother's call of Soup's On! Now there are over a dozen books in the Soup series now. In one wonderful scene, Peck and his friends are out playing football. He discusses inflating a football by licking the silver needle before putting it in the football. The taste of that needle on a brisk fall day is unforgettable. I remember playing football with my friends and the taste of that silver needle. Brilliant scene.
—Jimmy

This was a humorous historical fiction set in the 1930s in Vermont. Rob Peck (same name as the author) and Soup are best friends. They manage to constantly get into trouble. Soup and Rob are throwing apples. Soup dares Rob into whipping an apple at the church using a stick to fling it. They both throw an apple & break one of the churches windows. Soup and Rob make a pipe out of an acorn and daisy stems. They try to smoke corn silk. Rob's last thought before throwing up is, "I'm really smokin
—Krista

A friend recommended this book - and then a group of friends agreed - for my super picky reader in 6th grade. I grabbed this book and an Arctic adventure book for him and he wrinkled up his nose at Soup and chose the other book. But as it would be, my husband was gone that night and the boys asked me to read something to them and because my usually right friends so highly recommended this book, I picked up Soup to read aloud. The boys eyes were wide with "what would you do if we did that?" and I will admit I was a wee bit afraid of them trying some of the dare devil stunts in this book but we laughed a lot at it. The apple and the Baptist church? We were all laughing.And even in all that, there were some deep lessons learned here. Those "reading between the lines" lessons. I read more than half the book aloud to the boys that night. The next night with Daddy home, I read a chapter and even my husband told me to keep going. We finished the book as we sat at the dinner table. What a great collection of wild adventures that boys got themselves into and who knows how they survived. Also, it was funny to me to read this on the day that the boys got a strict talking to about bullying at school.Looking forward to reading more, and I will be sending this book on to my Dad because I think that it will remind him of parts of his childhood.
—Denise

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