In this book there are five big boys you are trying to take all of Billy Que's food. Billy comes up with the idea to make them soup. He tells the boys it will be the best soup but he needs the boys to gather a few items. Once all the boys are starting to leave he plops a rock in the stew pan. The boys turn and ask what that was. He tells the boys he put the rock in there to keep the secret ingredient in the pot. When the stew was done the boys ate a bowl and then asked nicely for a second bowl. This book could be considered Contempary realistic because there could be mean boys you ask older men for all their food. The media used in this book are ink line and watercolor drawings. Age Primary

An alternate take on Stone Soup. I read it because it's Susan Patron and she wrote the Newbery Award winner. I liked it. I loved the simile use. That's strong. It really is a good model. ( )

This is a clever branch off the more well-known novel, "Stone Soup." The characters are dusty, grimy boys who help an old neighbor make his soup using their own ingredients from their homes. This tale of community and friendship shows an unusual gang come together to make something delicious together. ( )