REVIEW OF FICTION AND FANTASY BOOK #1: Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

 Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

 Review by Lucinda Zamora-Wiley


1.     1. Bibliography:

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. New York:

 

Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

2.     2. Brief plot summary:

In this adorable graphic novel, Krosoczka’s Lunch Lady hero comes to the rescue once again. When the Lunch Lady’s star students--Hector, Terrence, and Dee—begin to detect some sneaky activity on the part of the school librarians, including sub-par library service which goes against the norm, they take their concerns to the Library Lady. Soon the school librarians’ secret plot to rid the world of “destructive” video games is discovered, and the Lunch Lady will not have it. Not only does she intercept and destroy the League of Librarians’ evil plot to ruin the lives of video games lovers, but in the end, Lunch Lady hosts the school’s amazing read-a-thon and incorporates fun video-gaming into the equation too by encouraging students to read while they wait to play. When the principal offers the Lunch Lady the job as head librarian, she quickly declines; there is no way she can “give up the excitement of the lunchroom.”

3. Critical analysis with specific literary considerations pertinent to each genre:

Krosoczka’s graphic novel’s illustrations are an amazing accompaniment to a delightful story with a lighthearted but important moral: there’s room in the heart and life of every young student for video games AND books. The Lunch Lady is an entirely unexpected hero, and it is much to the young reader’s delight to find such a surprising superhero…the irony is huge, as often, the lunch lady on a school campus is easy to overlook. Krosoczka’s idea to make the school’s star readers his main characters is also noteworthy and appreciated, not to mention the fair representation of gender encompassed by Hector, Terrence, and Dee. This story could take place in any middle reader’s school in any city in the country, making it universally accessible and of high interest to any YA reader who enjoys graphic novels. And for those students who may be new to the genre, Krosoczka’s Lunch Lady series is a great place to start!

 

4. Awards won (if any) and review excerpt(s):

·       Lunch Lady series has twice won a Children's Choice Book Award, in the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year category

·       Nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award.

 

* Kirkus Reviews writes, “This graphic novel alternates between boxy, regular panels and full-page spreads, keeping readers’ visual interest piqued. Filled with goofy puns and grayscale art with cheery yellow accents, this is a delightfully fun escapist read. Be sure to recommend this to fans of Captain Underpants.”

* School Library Journal writes, “Readers will get a kick out of the superhero lunch ladies in an everyday school setting. The graphic-novel format is appealing and accessible for early-chapter-book readers and reluctant readers alike. Energetic illustrations, effectively accented with yellow, include humorous details. The various gadgets, which “lunch engineer” Betty creates out of kitchen items, are inventive and funny. Readers don’t need to be familiar with previous Lunch Lady books to enjoy this one.”

5. Connections:

·       YA readers can interview their own magical lunch ladies and transform their stories into magical Lunch Lady graphic novels/ illustrated short stories of their own. The same can be done for interviews of custodians, teachers, parents, etc.—with the moral of the story being that there are superheroes all around us.

·       A follow-up reading of Hey, Kiddo, Krosoczka’s National Book Award-winning memoir might be a suggested reading for students whose families do not look like the typical nuclear family.

·       There are a whole host of additional titles in the Lunch Lady series for students to enjoy, and for those who really enjoyed this graphic novel genre, there’s plenty more to enjoy…some additional suggested reads include: Babymouse; Zita, the Spacegirl; Oddly Normal; and Hello Kitty.

·       The “good” school librarian could host a Read-a-thon just as featured in Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians, and if she’s as nice as Lunch Lady, she can even allow some video gaming in the background while students read. 

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