Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
Author Sharon Creech
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Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
Sharon Creech
Illustrator, Chris Raschka
Joanne Colter Books, 2003
ISBN 0-06-029291-1
Ideal for Ages 7-10
4.5 out of 5 Stars on Amazon.com
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Reviewed by Anna Stewart
Challenges: Visual impairment, friendship
Tips: Everyday routines such as driving, cooking together, doing chores, and of course, eating together can provide comfort, a feeling of safety, and a place for conversation. Think about what works for you personally and what works for other members of your family.
Sometimes it's hard to be a best friend. Twelve-year-old Rosie and her buddy, her pal, her next-door neighbor, Bailey, have known each other forever but in this superb novel, they are in the middle of a problem. Rosie's grandmother, Granny Torrelli, uses cooking, eating, and storytelling, to gently guide the kids to understanding each other's perspective. This is a delicious story, seasoned with complex characters, and filled with hope, love, and Granny's charming wisdom.
Bailey joins them as they make homemade pasta, tomato sauce, and spareribs. Granny Torrelli tells Rosie to guide Bailey's hands to mix the dough. Though it means everything and it means nothing, Bailey is blind. His blindness has never interfered with his and Rosie’s friendship though she was devastated that he couldn't go to the same school as her. But it's also at the heart of the problem between them. Rosie taught herself Braille so she could read Baileys' books with him and he got very angry. With Granny's help, she learns that Braille was one of the few things Bailey had that she didn’t and when she learned it, in a way she took it away from him. Other characters, like the new girl down the street who has a crush on Bailey, also challenge their friendship.
At the end of the story, as everyone is gathered at the table for a big pasta party, Granny raises her glass to the Rosie and Bailey for making the meal. Rosie, filled with the love of her family and friends, realizes she is stronger after weathering the storm with Bailey, still her pal, her buddy, her best friend.
Purchase Book on Amazon.com
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup; $10.87
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