Soup Series

Titles:  Soup; Soup and Me; Soup for President; Soup's Drum; Soup on Wheels; Soup in the Saddle; Soup's Goat; Soup on Ice; Soup on Fire; Soup's Uncle; Soup's Hoop; Soup in Love; Soup Ahoy; Soup 1776.

Author:  Robert Newton Peck

Rating:  **  (2 stars out of 3 possible, "B")
             Recommended

Audience:  Third Grade and Up

This series was just what the doctor ordered for some fun and funny summer reading for our family.  If your child is having trouble getting excited about reading, try these short and engaging, as well as instructive books.

Written between the 1970s and 1990s, Robert Newton Peck takes us back to his rural Vermont upbringing during the 1940s for some mischievous, good-natured adventures.  He proves the straight man to his best friend Soup (don't call him Luther Wesley) who has plenty of wacky ideas.

You will run into occasional coarse language, which even makes up a large part of the plot in Soup's Goat.  Soup's cousin arrives and makes up for his lack of athletic ability with shockingly impressive language.  Soup and Robert are considering acquiring this new talent when consequences convince them all to improve their taste.

That's a common theme in Soup books:  lots of mischief, but enough consequences to balance out the behavior.  The books also get good marks for strong adult characters.  I was pleasantly surprised that the school teacher, Miss Kelly, inspires great friendship and  respect from the kids.

Girls are given fair representation also.  Soup and Robert are given a good run for their money by neighborhood bully Janice Riker  (who says bullies have to be boys?) and Robert's heart is repeatedly smitten by good friend Norma Jean Bissel.

Enjoy!