Graphic Work-Review

Lunch Lady

and the League of the Librarians

By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka

A. Bibliographic Data

Krosoczka, Jarrett J., 2009. Lunch Lady and the League of the Librarians. Ill. by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-375-84684-7

B. Plot Summary

Lunch Lady and the League of the Librarians is a graphic novel in a series of books, about a lunch lady who fights crime. Something is fishy about the librarians in the community and the breakfast club senses something is wrong. This group of three kids investigates and find that the librarians quest is to destroy all video games, and have world domination. With the help of the Lunch Lady and her side kick Betty these kids defeat the librarians and restore peace and order to the world.

C. Critical Analysis

Jarrett J. Krosoczka has created a series of books about a lunch lady who fights crime, and I often found myself laughing at the illustrations she uses to tell the story. Krosoczka creates lively illustrations using the simple color scheme of black, white, grey, and yellow. The Lunch Lady and the League of the Librarians takes a different spin and sure is not your average superhero. The plot line of the story is simple with a problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, however the illustrations in the book offer more of a complex outlook throughout the book. The Lunch Lady series are graphic novels that are friendly for a younger age group, and younger children will enjoy reading about a lunch lady who serves food and justice.

D. Award

*WINNER 2010 - Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

School Library Journal Review-"When not serving up French fries and gravy to students, Lunch Lady escapes to her secret kitchen lair to lead the life of a crime fighter. Using an assortment of lunch-themed gadgets (created by her sidekick Betty), she is definitely a quirky superhero. Tipped off by the Breakfast Bunch (three students who discovered Lunch Lady's crime-fighting alter ego in Book 1), she attempts to foil the plans of the evil League of Librarians, who seek to destroy all video games. The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations have splashes of yellow in nearly every panel. The clean layout, featuring lots of open space, is well suited for the intended audience. Terrence, Hector, and Dee become more developed in this second installment in the series, especially Dee, who asserts herself as the strong-willed leader of the group. The winking references to book fairs, read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line. With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal."–School Library Journal Review

E. Connections

* Introduce and share other graphic novels in the Lunch Lady series.

* Expose students to other popular graphic novels, kids love graphic novels.

* Encourage students to write their own short story with illustrations.