Soup (novel) facts for kids

First edition of Soup

Soup is a funny children's novel written by Robert Newton Peck in 1974. It's all about the adventures of two best friends, Robert and Luther, who everyone calls "Soup." The story takes place in the 1930s in a small town in Vermont. It shows what daily life was like for these two boys.

Soup is a good-hearted but very mischievous boy. He is always coming up with big plans. These plans almost always get him and Robert into trouble. Robert is smarter and more careful. But Soup often tricks him into helping with his wild ideas. Even so, they are the best of friends and always look out for each other. They often face challenges from school bullies Janice Riker and Eddy Tacker. Robert also has a secret crush on his classmate, Norma Jean Bissel.

Meet the Main Characters

This book focuses on two main characters:

• Robert: He is the narrator of the story. This means he tells the story from his point of view. Robert is usually more sensible than Soup. He often tries to avoid trouble.
• Luther "Soup": He is Robert's best friend. Soup is full of energy and always has a new, wild idea. His plans are often very creative but lead to funny problems.

Funny Adventures and Mischief

The book is full of hilarious moments. For example, the boys once lost their clothes. They had to find new ones at a rummage sale. But the sale only had clothes for women!

In another funny scene, Soup decided to paint his name on a barn. He didn't ask for permission first. He painted "Soup" but ran out of space for the "p." So, the "p" ended up on the corner of the barn. This made the farmer yell, "'Souf'! I'll get you 'Souf'!" These kinds of adventures make the book fun to read.

More Soup Stories and TV Shows

Soup was so popular that Robert Newton Peck wrote many more books about Robert and Soup. These are called sequels. Some of the sequels include Soup and Me and Soup for President.

Two of the books, Soup and Me and Soup For President, were even made into TV shows! They were half-hour episodes. They starred Christian Berrigan and Shane Sinutko. These episodes were part of a TV series called The ABC Weekend Special. Robert Newton Peck also wrote another famous book called A Day No Pigs Would Die.

Books in the Soup Series

Here is a list of all the books in the main Soup series:

• Soup (Knopf, 1974)
• Soup and Me (Knopf, 1975)
• Soup for President (Knopf, 1978)
• Soup's Drum (Knopf, 1980)
• Soup on Wheels (Knopf, 1981)
• Soup in the Saddle (Knopf, 1983)
• Soup's Goat (Knopf, 1984)
• Soup on Ice (Knopf, 1985)
• Soup on Fire (Knopf, 1987)
• Soup's Uncle (Delacorte, 1988)
• Soup's Hoop (Delacorte, 1990)
• Soup in Love (Delacorte, 1992)
• Soup Ahoy (Delacorte, 1994)
• Soup 1776 (Knopf/Random House, 1995)

The Little Soup Series

There is also a special series of books for younger readers. These stories are simpler and shorter.

• Little Soup's Birthday (Dell, 1991)
• Little Soup's Turkey (Dell, 1992)
• Little Soup's Bunny (Dell, 1993)