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Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
The Barnes & Noble Review
Soup, pasta, and Granny Torrelli's wisdom are food for the soul in this hearteningly stirring, friendship-affirming novel from Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech. A sort of culinary Camp David filled with old-world charm, Granny Torrelli's kitchen is a delicious mix of cooking, storytelling, and understanding for 12-year-old Rosie and her visually impaired best friend, Bailey. After Rosie attempts to learn Braille in order to impress Bailey, bad feelings arise, and Bailey starts to focus more attention on a new girl who's moved into the neighborhood. Knowing the recipe for good friends, Granny Torrelli brings them together to cook zuppa and pasta, gently directing the preparation as she tells stories of yesteryear about jealous friends and forgiveness -- all of which bears a striking resemblance to Rosie and Bailey's situation. By the end, Rosie and Bailey understand each other better, and -- along with their two families and the new girl -- sit down for a jubilant meal made with hard work and lots of love.
Soup, pasta, and Granny Torrelli's wisdom are food for the soul in this hearteningly stirring, friendship-affirming novel from Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech. A sort of culinary Camp David filled with old-world charm, Granny Torrelli's kitchen is a delicious mix of cooking, storytelling, and understanding for 12-year-old Rosie and her visually impaired best friend, Bailey. After Rosie attempts to learn Braille in order to impress Bailey, bad feelings arise, and Bailey starts to focus more attention on a new girl who's moved into the neighborhood. Knowing the recipe for good friends, Granny Torrelli brings them together to cook zuppa and pasta, gently directing the preparation as she tells stories of yesteryear about jealous friends and forgiveness -- all of which bears a striking resemblance to Rosie and Bailey's situation. By the end, Rosie and Bailey understand each other better, and -- along with their two families and the new girl -- sit down for a jubilant meal made with hard work and lots of love.
Blending all the right ingredients for young and old readers alike, Creech's novel serves up a masterful array of emotion. The author's expert use of language is remarkable, with telling actions and understated phrases yielding powerful scenes that make Creech herself ever-present. This tasty morsel of a book is sure to leave readers' appetites whetted and their spirits strengthened. Matt Warner
141 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2003
95 people are currently reading
2001 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Creech
70 books3,289 followersI was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 610 reviews
April 7, 2008
could i put a bazillion kids books on here? yes. do I? no.
you're welcome.
But Sharon Creech is worth pointing out.
Her books are diverse in style and kick ass in story but mostly I love that she respects kids enough to speak in ways that are less than orthodox for kids books.
I LOVE that she writes in away that teachers would be mortified to see their kids write.
I LOVE that while teachers are beating their kids over the head with the lame-ass "First, Then, Next, Finally" format and "Topic Sentence, 3 paragraph essay", they might pick up something by Creech and see some paragraphs like these:
"Wanted to do everything in one day. Sit! Heel! Stay! Mutt wold not listen."
"Locked him in the garage. Snuck out in the morning and fed him more meat loaf. Took him out to do his buisness. Made him a bed out of my pillow and and old blanket".
"Went to school"
"Came home. Pillow in a thousand, thousand shreds. Blanket peed on. Poop by the lawn mower."
"Took him out. Sit! Heel! Stay!"
and the chop chop of the words will seep into their brain and they'll begin to see that "tell me more" isn't the only way to revise a piece of writing and a little of the "what i did over the weekend essay" will seep out and they might actually pick up a book when it's not "required reading".
you're welcome.
But Sharon Creech is worth pointing out.
Her books are diverse in style and kick ass in story but mostly I love that she respects kids enough to speak in ways that are less than orthodox for kids books.
I LOVE that she writes in away that teachers would be mortified to see their kids write.
I LOVE that while teachers are beating their kids over the head with the lame-ass "First, Then, Next, Finally" format and "Topic Sentence, 3 paragraph essay", they might pick up something by Creech and see some paragraphs like these:
"Wanted to do everything in one day. Sit! Heel! Stay! Mutt wold not listen."
"Locked him in the garage. Snuck out in the morning and fed him more meat loaf. Took him out to do his buisness. Made him a bed out of my pillow and and old blanket".
"Went to school"
"Came home. Pillow in a thousand, thousand shreds. Blanket peed on. Poop by the lawn mower."
"Took him out. Sit! Heel! Stay!"
and the chop chop of the words will seep into their brain and they'll begin to see that "tell me more" isn't the only way to revise a piece of writing and a little of the "what i did over the weekend essay" will seep out and they might actually pick up a book when it's not "required reading".
Read
October 9, 2016مادربزرگم میگوید «وقتی از دوستی عصبانی هستی، آنقدر عصبانی که فکرهای زشت به کلهات میزند، آنقدر عصبانی که میخواهی سر به تنش نباشد، به چیزهای مثبتش فکر کن، به حرفهای قشنگش فکر کن و ببین اصلا چرا دوستش داشتهای!»
و حالا من به جای انجام دو پروژهی ناتمام نشستهام و کتاب کودک میخوانم و دلم میخواهد فکر کنم دوستی بیلی و رزی، دو شخصیت اصلی داستان «مادربزرگ سوپ میپزد!» هیچ وقت تمام نمیشود. اما میدانم دلخوشی فایدهای ندارد. تمام دوستیها یک روزی تمام میشود.
و حالا من به جای انجام دو پروژهی ناتمام نشستهام و کتاب کودک میخوانم و دلم میخواهد فکر کنم دوستی بیلی و رزی، دو شخصیت اصلی داستان «مادربزرگ سوپ میپزد!» هیچ وقت تمام نمیشود. اما میدانم دلخوشی فایدهای ندارد. تمام دوستیها یک روزی تمام میشود.
November 2, 2009
In the book, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Sharon Creech offers a story of strong characters and meaningful relationships through good old fashion cooking. Rosie is a high spirited 12 year old with a best friend Bailey. The two grew up next to each other and did everything the same until it was time to go to school. That’s when Rosie realized Bailey was different, he was blind. Rosie’s attempt to help Bailey anyway possible, at times gets a bit overwhelming to him. When Rosie gets upset with Bailey’s reactions, she can always rely on Granny Torrelli to talk her through it. Together, they make soup (zuppa) and Granny tells stories of her childhood friendship with Pardo, which closely resembles the relationship Rosie has with Bailey. Through cooking and storytelling Granny Torelli helps Rosie realize that making up with Bailey is the right thing to do. Granny Torrelli and her cooking are needed again when Rosie finds a new neighbor girl threatening her relationship with Bailey. Granny, Rosie, and Bailey make pasta together as Granny Torrelli tells more familiar stories of her and Pardo back in Italy. It’s not long before Rosie and Bailey see the connection between their lives and Granny’s lesson. They realize that friendship is what matters in life. Creech’s characters are lively and realistic. Granny Torrelli’s patient and reasonable exterior yields a feisty and lively past, which is what connects her so much to her granddaughter. Rosie’s passion for life and relationships gets her in trouble at times but readers are drawn to her loving heart.
I listened to this story on audio CD and was extremely entertained. Donna Murphy does more than read the text, she acts out the part of each dynamic character. Rosie, being an excitable child often rants with short repeated phrases. Murphy does a beautiful job showing Rosie’s burst of emotion, her childlike voice getting progressively higher and louder. Whatever emotion it may be, Murphy is able to adjust her voice to pinpoint exactly what Rosie might sound like. As for Granny Torrelli, I can still hear her low, calm Italian accent subtly giving advice to her granddaughter. The audio version of this story was amazing.
I listened to this story on audio CD and was extremely entertained. Donna Murphy does more than read the text, she acts out the part of each dynamic character. Rosie, being an excitable child often rants with short repeated phrases. Murphy does a beautiful job showing Rosie’s burst of emotion, her childlike voice getting progressively higher and louder. Whatever emotion it may be, Murphy is able to adjust her voice to pinpoint exactly what Rosie might sound like. As for Granny Torrelli, I can still hear her low, calm Italian accent subtly giving advice to her granddaughter. The audio version of this story was amazing.
November 2, 2015
When a group of 4th grade girls ask you to read a book with them even though you've already read it. Well... you do. Still a Sharon Creech fan.
May 21, 2022
Not subtle or nuanced, but still heartwarming and lovely. Darling. For boys and girls and grownups, too, if they aren't as fabulously wise as Granny Torrelli.
Btw, I like all the covers. I happened to read the one that points out its kinship to the amazing Love That Dog, but any of them are fine. Do give this super-short poetic story a try.
I will continue to consider more by Creech.
Btw, I like all the covers. I happened to read the one that points out its kinship to the amazing Love That Dog, but any of them are fine. Do give this super-short poetic story a try.
I will continue to consider more by Creech.
November 15, 2018
Can’t, he says. I’m making meatballs. I thought you were helping.
What a trip this was. Super cute. Endearing. Unexpectedly sad. Oh no. More sad. Cute. Happy. Oh wait there’s more — wow, so cute. So real. So peaceful. Cute.
Granny Torrelli, solving everyone’s problems with not so subtle parallels and good ol soup and pasta. il.
“my friend, my buddy, my pal”
“your buddy, your pal?”
“my buddy, my pal, my friend”
^how much this got used is the actual best
What a trip this was. Super cute. Endearing. Unexpectedly sad. Oh no. More sad. Cute. Happy. Oh wait there’s more — wow, so cute. So real. So peaceful. Cute.
Granny Torrelli, solving everyone’s problems with not so subtle parallels and good ol soup and pasta. il.
“my friend, my buddy, my pal”
“your buddy, your pal?”
“my buddy, my pal, my friend”
^how much this got used is the actual best
February 21, 2012
I listened to "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" and truly enjoyed it. This story features Granny Torrelli (an excellent zuppa, or soup maker), twelve-year old Rosie and her neighbor, Bailey. The friendship of Rosie and Bailey has its ups and downs. Rosie can change from good friend to sassy girl to ice queen in a matter of seconds. Bailey bounces through his reactions to Rosie and plows through his own challenges as a young blind boy. Through it all, Granny T. tells stories, makes the two friends laugh and challenges their thinking about their own challenges. Sharon Creech, author of "Walk Two Moons" has written another wonderful tale of family, friendships and overcoming obstacles. "Granny Torrelli Makes Soup" is a must read!
February 25, 2019
this was a really good book and I hope all of you are able to read it it's about a girl named Rosie and her best friend Bailey but the bad thing about everything is that Bailey is blind and there are a lot of things that start to change their friendship and there is a big surprise at the end so I think you should read Granny Torrelli Makes Soup and find out what happens.
December 29, 2022
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my favorite books from her. It is short and simple, yet deeply touching and it is something we can all relate too. Rosie makes zuppa with her Granny Torelli, telling her about the latest argument with her best friend Baily, the next-door boy. Granny inserts her own story about her childhood best friend, Pardo, and Rosie flashbacks to memories of Bailey.
My favorite part of the story is when Rosie talks about the new girl, Janine, and Rosie discovers that she has an Ice Queen inside of her. I love that, as a girl, I definitely have an ice queen inside and I think we can all relate to that feeling. It is a very sweet story that everyone should read.
Review #2 - December 2022
I've always loved this book and decided to revisit it and see if it would work for an online book group. While I won't be using it for the book group it was just as delightful as I remembered and if I was still in the classroom, I wouldn't hesitate using it for a read aloud. Sharon Creech is a phenomenal author.
As an adult this book takes me right back to when I was a kid and all those big feelings that seemed impossible to manage. The jealousy, the love, the friendship - the good and the bad. I love Bailey and Rosie. They're so sweet. Nothing beats Granny Torelli and her insights into growing up.
I listened to the audiobook for the first time and would not recommend it. The narrator was not my favorite. It also had this weird 90s style TV-theme music between every chapter. It was silly. :p
My favorite part of the story is when Rosie talks about the new girl, Janine, and Rosie discovers that she has an Ice Queen inside of her. I love that, as a girl, I definitely have an ice queen inside and I think we can all relate to that feeling. It is a very sweet story that everyone should read.
Review #2 - December 2022
I've always loved this book and decided to revisit it and see if it would work for an online book group. While I won't be using it for the book group it was just as delightful as I remembered and if I was still in the classroom, I wouldn't hesitate using it for a read aloud. Sharon Creech is a phenomenal author.
As an adult this book takes me right back to when I was a kid and all those big feelings that seemed impossible to manage. The jealousy, the love, the friendship - the good and the bad. I love Bailey and Rosie. They're so sweet. Nothing beats Granny Torelli and her insights into growing up.
I listened to the audiobook for the first time and would not recommend it. The narrator was not my favorite. It also had this weird 90s style TV-theme music between every chapter. It was silly. :p
October 29, 2017
A decent book, spoiled in the presentation. I get the need for short chapters in children's books, but when a "chapter" is just a couple of paragraphs, and each "chapter" is a separate page, well...it starts to look an awful lot like "I don't have enough actual story for a real book, so let's spread it out with wide margins and make it look like more." It also tries a leetle too hard to be all heartwarming and heartstring-tugging and Lifetime TV After School Specially.
Rosie is as opinionated and approval-hungry as she faults her new neighbour for being. She is also possessive and jealous of her lifelong friend Bailey. Granny manages to get through to her by sharing her own past stories of being a lot like Rosie herself, along with some good homemade food.
Rosie is as opinionated and approval-hungry as she faults her new neighbour for being. She is also possessive and jealous of her lifelong friend Bailey. Granny manages to get through to her by sharing her own past stories of being a lot like Rosie herself, along with some good homemade food.
July 23, 2016
One of the only books that I had to read for school and enjoyed!
xoxo,
Bebe
xoxo,
Bebe
February 29, 2024
Beautiful book. Made me cry. Sharon CREECH was my favorite childhood author. I see why. She had such voice. And the whole book is teaching kids about communication, conflict resolution, the cycle of drama in this life, and other psychological and social concepts. It was so sweet. Good book. Thank you Sharon.
April 14, 2017
Personal Response:
I give this book four out of five stars. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was really fun. The author, Sharon Creech, created a good story line and didn’t try to extend it into a long book. I have read most of this author’s other books, and I recommend her books. I liked how the author was able to incorporate a good life lesson while keeping the book itself very simple. I definitely recommend this book.
Plot:
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup is a realistic fiction book about a young girl, Rosie, making soup with her grandmother. Rosie’s best friend, Bailey, is blind, and this book tells the story of their close friendship. They work through the new girl on the block trying to butt into their friendship, and come out even closer in the end. During the entirety of this book, Granny Torrelli, Rosie, and Bailey are making soup and pasta for a big pasta party at the end of the book where everyone comes together.
Characterization:
Rosie is just like her grandmother; she is extremely stubborn and has the best friend in the world. She is very close with her grandmother, and enjoys spending time with her in the kitchen. Bailey is a tall, strong, young man who was born blind. He took this struggle and overcame it humbly and powerfully. Rosie and Bailey are truly best friends.
Setting:
The majority of this novel takes place in present-day Pickburr Street. The time setting of this book is important because of how advanced our medicine and technology is today, so Bailey, who is blind, can still live a somewhat normal life. The setting to the story is important because Rosie and Bailey grew up living next to each other, but if they didn’t then they probably would not be friends.
Thematic Connection:
The theme of this story is that all of life’s obstacles cannot overcome the powerful bond of lifelong friends. Rosie has to deal with the new girl fawning all over Bailey, but in the end they stay just as close of friends as they did before, if not closer. I can relate to this because I have a few really close friends, and we have had to endure many difficulties in the years of our friendships.
Audience:
The novel would be appropriate for audiences of all ages. This book would be helpful to both genders because it tells of the importance of having a good friend in life. Everyone needs a friend, and somebody to be there for them; everyone needs love.
I give this book four out of five stars. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was really fun. The author, Sharon Creech, created a good story line and didn’t try to extend it into a long book. I have read most of this author’s other books, and I recommend her books. I liked how the author was able to incorporate a good life lesson while keeping the book itself very simple. I definitely recommend this book.
Plot:
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup is a realistic fiction book about a young girl, Rosie, making soup with her grandmother. Rosie’s best friend, Bailey, is blind, and this book tells the story of their close friendship. They work through the new girl on the block trying to butt into their friendship, and come out even closer in the end. During the entirety of this book, Granny Torrelli, Rosie, and Bailey are making soup and pasta for a big pasta party at the end of the book where everyone comes together.
Characterization:
Rosie is just like her grandmother; she is extremely stubborn and has the best friend in the world. She is very close with her grandmother, and enjoys spending time with her in the kitchen. Bailey is a tall, strong, young man who was born blind. He took this struggle and overcame it humbly and powerfully. Rosie and Bailey are truly best friends.
Setting:
The majority of this novel takes place in present-day Pickburr Street. The time setting of this book is important because of how advanced our medicine and technology is today, so Bailey, who is blind, can still live a somewhat normal life. The setting to the story is important because Rosie and Bailey grew up living next to each other, but if they didn’t then they probably would not be friends.
Thematic Connection:
The theme of this story is that all of life’s obstacles cannot overcome the powerful bond of lifelong friends. Rosie has to deal with the new girl fawning all over Bailey, but in the end they stay just as close of friends as they did before, if not closer. I can relate to this because I have a few really close friends, and we have had to endure many difficulties in the years of our friendships.
Audience:
The novel would be appropriate for audiences of all ages. This book would be helpful to both genders because it tells of the importance of having a good friend in life. Everyone needs a friend, and somebody to be there for them; everyone needs love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2014
Rosie gets some great advice, from her granny Torrelli, about life in general, but more specifically about her best buddy/pal Bailey-the boy who lives next door. Bailey and Rosie have literally grown up together and have been separable ever since. Bailey developed a condition early on that left him blind, making Rosie feel like she wants to protect Bailey. Now that they are older, Rosie realizes that her feelings for Bailey are more than just friends, however, she is unsure of herself and where her relationship with Bailey stands when Janine-the new girl, moves in down the street. It takes granny Torrelli and her heart-warming stories to help both kids realize that Tutto va bene "All is well"
Just like granny Torrelli, this book is heart-warming. Creech, takes the reader, if you're an adult, back to the age of innocence, when first crushes are realized and life seems easier. If you're an age appropriate reader, it helps you sort through some of those tough feelings that plague every adolescent during this stage of life. This would make a great movie!
This is realistic fiction, fast paced, and has a good amount of characterization-in regards to the characters themselves. I would recommend this book to reluctant readers in 3rd-5th grade.
Read-a-likes:
"Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech, because it is realistic fiction and seems to be another book by Creech that helps kids figure things out in regards to close relationships.
"Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the family" by Steven R. Schirripa & Charles Fleming, because it is also about an Italian-American family. (However, I would never really recommend this book to anyone...it wasn't very good!)
Just like granny Torrelli, this book is heart-warming. Creech, takes the reader, if you're an adult, back to the age of innocence, when first crushes are realized and life seems easier. If you're an age appropriate reader, it helps you sort through some of those tough feelings that plague every adolescent during this stage of life. This would make a great movie!
This is realistic fiction, fast paced, and has a good amount of characterization-in regards to the characters themselves. I would recommend this book to reluctant readers in 3rd-5th grade.
Read-a-likes:
"Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech, because it is realistic fiction and seems to be another book by Creech that helps kids figure things out in regards to close relationships.
"Nicky Deuce: Welcome to the family" by Steven R. Schirripa & Charles Fleming, because it is also about an Italian-American family. (However, I would never really recommend this book to anyone...it wasn't very good!)
January 28, 2010
Questions and disucssion for my penpal:
Did you like Granny Torrelli Makes Soup? I liked it a lot. I especially liked the way that Rosie describes her feelings. Sometimes she is a tiger girl and sometimes an ice queen or sly fox. Some of my feelings are fierce like a bear, or sneaky like a snake or hard like stone. I also liked the way that Granny Torrelli imagines her family having a big pasta party in the sky. I think that is a nice way of thinking about your family members after they are gone. I thought the ending was really great too. Bouncy Janine and the new neighbors and Bailey's family and Rosie's family all having a pasta party; what a great way to make new friends!
On page 27, Rosie rips Bailey's book. What do you think she was hoping would happen? Have you ever been really angry and broken something? How did you feel afterwards? On page 83, Granny Torrelli wants Bailey to crack the eggs without Rosie's help. Why do you think she does this? Wouldn't it be easier for Rosie to just do it for Baily? Why do you think Bailey was mad at Rosie for learning braille? Why do you think Bailey decided to help Janine learn braille after he was so angry with Rosie about her learning braille? On page 128, Bailey has the ice king voice. Why do you think he would be upset about the new boys moving in across the street?
Granny Torelli says "Tuto va bene" in the book. Out here in Phoenix, we say "Todo es bien". It means the same thing except in Spanish. I really like being your pen pal! And I hope to hear from you soon.
Did you like Granny Torrelli Makes Soup? I liked it a lot. I especially liked the way that Rosie describes her feelings. Sometimes she is a tiger girl and sometimes an ice queen or sly fox. Some of my feelings are fierce like a bear, or sneaky like a snake or hard like stone. I also liked the way that Granny Torrelli imagines her family having a big pasta party in the sky. I think that is a nice way of thinking about your family members after they are gone. I thought the ending was really great too. Bouncy Janine and the new neighbors and Bailey's family and Rosie's family all having a pasta party; what a great way to make new friends!
On page 27, Rosie rips Bailey's book. What do you think she was hoping would happen? Have you ever been really angry and broken something? How did you feel afterwards? On page 83, Granny Torrelli wants Bailey to crack the eggs without Rosie's help. Why do you think she does this? Wouldn't it be easier for Rosie to just do it for Baily? Why do you think Bailey was mad at Rosie for learning braille? Why do you think Bailey decided to help Janine learn braille after he was so angry with Rosie about her learning braille? On page 128, Bailey has the ice king voice. Why do you think he would be upset about the new boys moving in across the street?
Granny Torelli says "Tuto va bene" in the book. Out here in Phoenix, we say "Todo es bien". It means the same thing except in Spanish. I really like being your pen pal! And I hope to hear from you soon.
April 13, 2010
Thanks to the wise grand mother granny torrelli. Her ganddaghter
was named rose. her best friend was blind at the age of four
his name was baily.Baily an rosi was raised next door to each other.
They were like brother an sister.
And they were the same age, 12 yers old but baily was one mounth born after rosi. But when it came to school were Rosie had a fit over her best friend, it was
time for granny torrelli to solve the problem.If you were blind
would you like to go to the same school as your bff? stand up for the orgument
thats coming like a wild tornado.I think i would hate to leave my bf alone .Beacause what if he or she
find another friend whos just like them.
Right it will hurt you
Deep down in side.
But granny torrelli. Made
Her grandaghter to have trust in Baily.granny- torrelli was like a granny
as your personal therpy
Instead of ms/mr grumpy
Talking about your relationship
was named rose. her best friend was blind at the age of four
his name was baily.Baily an rosi was raised next door to each other.
They were like brother an sister.
And they were the same age, 12 yers old but baily was one mounth born after rosi. But when it came to school were Rosie had a fit over her best friend, it was
time for granny torrelli to solve the problem.If you were blind
would you like to go to the same school as your bff? stand up for the orgument
thats coming like a wild tornado.I think i would hate to leave my bf alone .Beacause what if he or she
find another friend whos just like them.
Right it will hurt you
Deep down in side.
But granny torrelli. Made
Her grandaghter to have trust in Baily.granny- torrelli was like a granny
as your personal therpy
Instead of ms/mr grumpy
Talking about your relationship
February 28, 2013
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup is a strange but heartwarming story. It’s about a girl named Rosie and her friend Bailey. Bailey suffers from blindness. Ever since they were babies, Rosie and Bailey did everything together and everything the same. When Rosie heard of Bailey’s blindness she didn’t want that to come between them. Then Rosie decides to “learn to be blind”. Bailey takes it that Rosie is making fun of him and begins to fight with her.
I disliked this book because there was no story to it. I really just read it in thirty minutes. The book was mostly the main character complaining the whole time about how her best friend is a jerk, stubborn, and evil. I did find the ending sweet though. I recommend this book to people who want a quick read, and something about obstacles. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup Wasn’t Creech’s best.
Reviewed by- Hannah Greenberg
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup is a strange but heartwarming story. It’s about a girl named Rosie and her friend Bailey. Bailey suffers from blindness. Ever since they were babies, Rosie and Bailey did everything together and everything the same. When Rosie heard of Bailey’s blindness she didn’t want that to come between them. Then Rosie decides to “learn to be blind”. Bailey takes it that Rosie is making fun of him and begins to fight with her.
I disliked this book because there was no story to it. I really just read it in thirty minutes. The book was mostly the main character complaining the whole time about how her best friend is a jerk, stubborn, and evil. I did find the ending sweet though. I recommend this book to people who want a quick read, and something about obstacles. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup Wasn’t Creech’s best.
Reviewed by- Hannah Greenberg
February 7, 2019
I really liked this book. Rosie (whose point of view the story is told from) is funny, loving, and a good granddaughter. She makes soup with her Granny Torelli while her granny tells her about her childhood in Italy. Rosie also makes pasta with Granny T. and her best friend Bailey. I found it fun to read this book despite how short the chapters were.
March 18, 2017
When Tain says, "Mama, you've got to read this!" I do. His recommendations are rare and always on target. He brought this home for me and I read it in one sitting. Yet again Tain is right on the money. This brought me to tears. It's the story of a 12-year-old girl, Rosie, and her friend, a boy named Bailey. They've been friends from babyhood, but they're getting older and new feelings Rosie doesn't understand are making things difficult. Her grandmother, while making soup with Rosie, and then pasta with both, gently guide the children through the rough patches. A sweet read.
August 31, 2008
I wasn't diggin' this book in the beginning, but once I got about half-way through and started to develop some empathy towards the characters, I really enjoyed this book from then on. I think the characters of Rosie, Granny Torrelli and Bailey are what make this book so endearing. I wasn't crazy about the style of the writing, but the actual story and development of the characters I thought was really sweet and easy to relate to.
June 19, 2017
The first time I read this, I read it by myself and I gave it four stars. This time I read it with my girls and that enhanced the experience greatly. Turned a good book into a great book. I loved it so much more this time, and that's saying something because I liked it a whole lot when I read it last time.
September 2, 2018
I remember reading this book in my book club (in 5th grade). It was a pretty good book that all of the members of our book club liked. We thought that this book had so many hidden themes that could change the thought of children and adults. The character were all so cool and unique, especially Granny Torrelli. I recommend this book to you!!!
I thought that this book was certainly imaginative!
I thought that this book was certainly imaginative!
February 8, 2019
l like this book Granny Torrelli makes soup. It is about a girl named Rosie and a boy that is named Bailey and he is blind. In the beginning, they are in a fight and Granny Torrelli wants to help by making soup. When Granny Torrelli makes soup she tells stories to Rosie and Bailey be friends again.
November 16, 2013
Read in third grade. Hated it. Lack of plot and exciting characters. What was even the point?! If I could tell this as a 9 year old, imagine how I would think of it now. I don't think there's anything left to write.
April 19, 2018
This book was a very fast read for me. It was really two books in one about the same people. The way Sharon Creech made the book was confusion. The way the characters talk is there is no quotation marks. It's italicized. It was a fun little book to read.
June 5, 2009
An easy read, probably great for reluctant readers. I loved this book. Heck, I even teared up a bit while reading it. A wonderful book about family and friendship.
March 5, 2015
i thought this book was sad book because it is about a boy who is blind and his friend that is a girl tries to help him.
March 25, 2016
Read this for our elementary school's Battle of the Books. It is a cute story about friendship and family all connected by Grandma Torrelli's soup and pasta. A heartwarming story.
February 2, 2016
Good. It plays with emotions, because you're not sure if Bailey's good or if he's bad. Sharon Creech is my third favorite author.
July 1, 2017
Review by C.H.: "Great. When the girl has friend, the friend leaves for a long time and comes back and spent friends."
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