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Friday, February 7, 2014

Children's Book: Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, don't always get along, that's true. But Granny Torrelli seems to know just how to make things right again with her interesting stories and family recipes. It's easier to remember what's important about love, life, and friendship while Granny Torrelli makes soup.

My Thoughts: Food can make people come together and become closer. In this book, the making of soup played an importance in the story. I found Granny Torrelli Makes Soup to be a very cute read and I liked how it was told through making a dish. 


The book was broken up into two different parts, and each part there was a different kind of recipe being made. The first part concentrated on making "zuppa" or soup. The main character Rosie was mad at her best friend Bailey. While helping her grandmother make the soup, Rosie was questioned by Granny Torrelli to figure out the cause of Rosie's problem and to remember why she was friends with Bailey. The second part of the book showed the characters making "superior pasta" with meatballs. A new girl had moved into town and Rosie was jealous on the attention the new girl was giving Bailey. As Rosie and Bailey were helping Granny Torrelli with the pasta and meatballs, they got to discuss their feelings about the situation they were in. 

What I found most interesting about this book was how the making of food helped solve problems. Granny Torrelli was the one teaching the children how to make certain dishes. While the food was being made, Granny Torrelli would begin to ask questions that made Rosie and Bailey question about their friendship. Granny Torrelli also gave examples of her own childhood to relate more to the children. With their talk, story telling, and cooking, Rosie and Bailey came to understand one another more and came to learn who Granny Torrelli used to be as a child.

This was an enjoyable book. Many of my students had fun reading this one because they were able to relate to it. Unfortunately, I was not able to connect as well with the story. I found it cute but it did not hit "home" for me. However, I do recommend this book to children since it had themes that children would understand. I rate it: 



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