Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

Sharon Creech is the author of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. One of the primary characters in this novel is an Italian grandmother, but Creech, herself, was born in the United States in Ohio. She did live at times out of the country in both England and Switzerland. Her book, Bloomability, was inspired by her experience in Switzerland. Rosie, the protagonist of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, was an only child, but Creech grew up with three brothers. Like Rosie, however, Creech states that she grew up with family and friends frequently at her house. Creech traveled a lot as a child, and she uses these experiences to inform her books. She studied writing and literature while in college and later taught English.

Creech has written numerous novels for both children and adults. She won the Newbery Medal for her book, Walk Two Moons, which was inspired by her childhood trip to Idaho. She based another of her novels, Absolutely Normal Chaos, on her own experience growing up in her busy household. In addition to winning the Newbery Award, her book, The Wanderer, was named a Newbery Honor Book, and her book, Ruby Holler, won England’s prestigious Carnegie Medal. Despite the fact that she won such notable awards for her children’s books, the first two novels she wrote were adult fiction.