I’m not sure how my older brother ever heard about the “SOUP” series of books by Robert Newton Peck, but when he passed them on to me I was hooked from the first page. SOUP is Mr. Peck’s only-slightly-fictionalized memoir about growing up in depression-era Vermont, and all of the stories are told from his childhood perspective. Most of the chapters are based on the trouble that his best friend, Luther Wesley Vinson (aka “Soup”) managed to get the boys wrapped up in, which was apparently an endless source of literary inspiration. A lot of city kids might think there’s nothing fun to do out in the country, but Rob and Soup always seemed to put their imaginations to good use!
The first “SOUP” book is more like a collection of short stories, rather than an actual novel like any of the 16 (!) sequels which follow. I remember how I particularly enjoyed reading about how these kids lived back in the 1930s, and how even in such an austere, rural environment, they still faced many of the same challenges that kids do today. Lying, stealing, smoking, and even girls (gasp!) are just some of the situations that Rob and Soup endure together.
And as much I hate to give away any kind of spoilers in my reviews, I absolutely loved the way that Mr. Peck dedicated this book to his best friend— “the Reverend Luther Wesley Vinson, a shepherd of his flock, from his first sheep.” So it just goes to show you, even the most challenging kids might turn out all right.