Soup's Hoop [Paperback]

Robert Newton Peck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1992

Swish! Soup and Rob have basketball fever. The entire town of Learning, Vermont, is psyched up for the big game against their archrival, Pratt Falls. But there's trouble. The Learning Groundhogs' star center, Shorty Smith, has sprained his ankle.



Soup and Rob have a plan. Their new friend Piffle Shootensinker, a seven-foot-tall European basketball star from Pretzelstein, has just moved to town. Piff has a problem. He's homesick, he misses his dog, and can sink a basket only when he hears the music of his homeland on the spitzentootle. What's a spinzentootle? It doesn't take Rob and Soup long to learn. Can they locate one (and also find a dog) in time to inspire Piff to lead the Learning Groundhogs to victory?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 --The town of Learning faces its arch-rival Pratt Falls in a spring basketball game, but because of lack of height, the Learning Groundhogs look like sure losers. Then Rob and Soup meet Piffle Shootensinker, a seven-foot native of Pretzelstein, and discover that Piffle can play basketball when he hears the music of his beloved spitzentootle. Soup sets about planting a simulated spitzentootle in the high school on the day of the big game, hoping that it will inspire Piff and their team to victory. The "Soup" series shows some signs of getting cold. In this episode, Peck abandons the traditional pastoral hijinks and concocts a plot that strains credulity as much as any 19th-century Viennese operetta. However, the old standby, Janice Riker, is on hand to get dumped in molasses and smash the spitzentootle into crates of fireworks and generally provide the anarchy that Soup's fans expect. So, although this is tepid Soup, for avid fans it might be better than no Soup at all. --Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Swish! Soup and Rob have basketball fever. The entire town of Learning, Vermont, is psyched up for the big game against their archrival, Pratt Falls. But there's trouble. The Learning Groundhogs' star center, Shorty Smith, has sprained his ankle.

Soup and Rob have a plan. Their new friend Piffle Shootensinker, a seven-foot-tall European basketball star from Pretzelstein, has just moved to town. Piff has a problem. He's homesick, he misses his dog, and can sink a basket only when he hears the music of his homeland on the spitzentootle. What's a spinzentootle? It doesn't take Rob and Soup long to learn. Can they locate one (and also find a dog) in time to inspire Piff to lead the Learning Groundhogs to victory?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440405890
• ISBN-13: 978-0440405894
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and well desciptive, December 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Soup's Hoop (Hardcover)

I'd recommend this book for those who are ranging from 3rd grade and above. My first time I read it, I wasn't really interested. But I tried it again and found it to be extremely humorous and an interesting story. Its about two kids, Soup and Rob who are in love with the game of basketball. They meet this plummer named Piffle Shootensinker, a basketball star from Pretzelstein, some where in Europe. He is unstoppable. Soup and Rob have an idea: have Piff play for city basketball team and play in the biggest game of the year. But Piff has a few drawbacks, he is homesick, misses his dog, and can only sink a basket when he listens to the music of his homeland. So Soup and Rob come up with a another facinating idea: make a SPITZENTOOTLE. What's that? You'll just have to read "Soup's Hoop" and find out what happens and read how clutzy these two kids are.

5.0 out of 5 stars Soup is Super!, July 31, 2001

By 

vanessa (CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Soup's Hoop (Hardcover)

'Soup's Hoop' is a wonderful,charming and above all hilarious story, and I can't believe it's out of print! Peck has a special way of writing his books so they always make you smile, and 'Soup's Hoop' fully lives up to that. A fantastic book to read aloud. Horray for Soup!