• Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers selection, VOYA, 2004
• Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, 2004

"In this volume of connected poems, Johnson crystallizes the emotions of a homeless girl."
     —Publishers Weekly

"The poetry offers glimpses into a world most people quickly pass by on the streets, and will allow readers to imagine the pain of a child hiding in the world and watching the adults she depends upon collapse. This moving story is likely to inspire thought and discussion."
     —School Library Journal

"Johnson's prose, which appears as verse on the page, is poetic without straining, spare but with the sting of one-liners. Its lyricism makes more than bearable this original novel's many heartbreaks, including each and every detail (relying on grocery-store samples for sustenance, taking a special school bus that rounds up shelter kids) of life on the street."
     —Horn Book


Show All Reviews

"In this volume of connected poems, Johnson crystallizes the emotions of a homeless girl."
     —Publishers Weekly

"The poetry offers glimpses into a world most people quickly pass by on the streets, and will allow readers to imagine the pain of a child hiding in the world and watching the adults she depends upon collapse. This moving story is likely to inspire thought and discussion."
     —School Library Journal

"Johnson's prose, which appears as verse on the page, is poetic without straining, spare but with the sting of one-liners. Its lyricism makes more than bearable this original novel's many heartbreaks, including each and every detail (relying on grocery-store samples for sustenance, taking a special school bus that rounds up shelter kids) of life on the street."
     —Horn Book

"A homeless child finds a measure of inner security, and mends fences with her weak, troubled mother, in this first novel, written in verse. The only constants in Phoebe Rose's world of shelters and bus stations are her mother, their one shared suitcase, and her love of drawing. Then she loses all three after the suitcase is stolen, and she winds up at her grandmother's house, so withdrawn that she even stops making pictures. .… Readers —including less-able ones, who may be drawn by the open format —will come to care enough about this marginalized child to be relieved when she proves equal to her trials."
     —Booklist

"A sensitively told tale about homelessness and its devastating effect on children. … The characters are engaging and their problems real. The poetry is accessible and the reading level is appropriate for middle school children."
     —Five Owls

"The free-verse narration is filled with rich images, revealing her artist's eye and an intriguing mix of childlike fears and increasingly adult insights. We watch Phoebe grow in her understanding of herself and others as the complicated tangles of two mother-daughter relationships are revealed, if not resolved."
     —Riverbank Review

"Told completely in verse, this novel is an interesting look at the complex dynamics between mothers and daughters. Phoebe Rose is a likable character whose struggle to make sense of her mother's faults and limitations will likely strike a chord among youth who are just discovering their own parents' imperfections. The prose is simple yet elegant and will appeal to middle school and junior high readers who are already fans of this genre."
     —Voice of Youth Advocate

"Phoebe's story is a poignant one, especially when she's traveling with her mother, desperate for maternal affection, and worn down by the life they lead. … Readers will be glad to see this put-upon heroine finding her own strength."
     —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Lindsay Lee Johnson has created a poignant story about young Phoebe Rose who dreams of becoming an artist, but whose chaotic life is not able to sustain that aspiration. Soul Moon Soup, written as prose poetry, enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of the heartaches and triumphs of Phoebe's life, from her father's absence to her mother's instability. Johnson weaves difficult issues such as homelessness, single-parent families, and relationship problems into this powerful novel."
     —Reading Teacher

"Phoebe's story is told through a series of poems that elegantly capture the smells, noises, and fears that come with being on the streets and with living at Full Moon Lake with her grandmother. This is a wonderfully crafted book that is perfect for the introspective young reader."
     —Children's Literature