Soup is a 1974 children's novel by Robert Newton Peck. Its main characters are two boys, Robert (the narrator) and his close friend Luther, better known as "Soup". It takes place during the 1930s in a small town in Vermont where the author also grew up, and deals with the daily lives of the main characters. Soup is a well-meaning, but mischievous schemer, constantly coming up with elaborate plans that invariably land him and Robert in trouble. Robert is more sensible but less wily, and frequently finds himself conned into doing Soup's dirty work. However, they are best friends and watch out for one another. Their frequent villain is school bully Janice Riker and Eddy Tacker, and Robert has a mad crush on the lovely Norma Jean Bissel.