Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Krosoczka, J.  2009.  LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS.  New York: Random House.  ISBN  9780375846847

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

It's a normal day at school when a group of three students, known as the Breakfast Bunch, notice the school librarian, Mrs. Page, acting mean and suspicious.  After discovering a secret meeting between Mrs. Page and other librarians, the Breakfast Bunch reports it to the Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty.  In their secret lair, the Boiler Room, Lunch Lady and Betty discover that this group of deceptive librarians, who've dubbed themselves the League of Librarians, are out for world domination: they plan to destroy all video games since they believe video games corrupt children's minds and discourage them from reading.  The League of Librarians plan to intercept and destroy a shipment of the newly released X-Station 5000 video game console that will be arriving later that night.  However, the Lunch Lady and sidekick Betty foil their plans and stop the evil League of Librarians with their hilarious cafeteria-inspired weapons.  

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Readers young and old will enjoy the entertaining characters and the wonderful fantasy world Krosoczka has created in this hilarious and enjoyable graphic novel.  The Lunch Lady, sidekick Betty, and the Breakfast Bunch are modeled after individuals students encounter in their everyday school lives.  The Lunch Lady and sidekick Betty are drawn and portrayed as lively, enthusiastic characters, saying humorous things like “Things are about to get applesaucey!” and "Great Tuna!"  The mischievous League of Librarians are given unique names that cleverly reflect book features:  Edna Bibliosa, Vivian Bookwormer, Jane Shelver, and Rhonda Page.  To further emphasize their deceitful personalities, they are drawn with scowling faces and evil smiles.  The Break Bunch kids- Dee, Terrance, and Howard- are seen participating in activities many of today’s young readers engage in, such as visiting the school library and waiting in the school cafeteria line.  Readers will also identify with the Breakfast Bunch kids since Dee loves to read and Terrance and Howard enjoy playing video games.  Krosoczka ensures that their dialect captures the relaxed language children use in their everyday lives.  By creating characters children can relate and identify with, Krosoczka brings a fun and believable, low-level fantasy world to life.

Short, simple sentences as well as the use of action frames drive the momentum of the story forward.  As readers quickly turn the pages, they see the characters interact and communicate with each other through speech balloons.  It is through their dialogue that the plot unfolds.  Readers are also greeted with different size storyboard panels, accented in yellow, black, white, and gray colors.  The story is firmly planted in reality before elements of fantasy are revealed.  Krosoczka's creative use of ordinary lunch items as Lunch Lady's arsenal of weapons is hilarious and keeps readers' interest.  Weapons such as the Linguini Lasso, the Smoke Can of Peas, and the Electronic Bananarang are used to stop the League of Librarians from destroying the new shipment of the X-Station 5000.  Fantasy is also used in the weapons the League of Librarians wield against the Lunch Lady.  They bring the characters and villains of several books to life by cracking the novels open and yelling out their titles.  Young readers will delight in seeing characters from The Three Little Pigs, The Call of the Wild, and Alice in Wonderland magically emerge to join the epic showdown between the Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians.  As the action unfolds, readers will be drawn in to the story and anxious to read what happens next.

The storyboard panels are also used to show the different locations where the plot unfolds: the school library and cafeteria, the public library, and the city docks.  These drawings are critical in helping readers visualize the school's surroundings and emphasize present-day reality.  The school settings also serve to make the plot and characters believable in children's minds.

The theme of good triumphing over evil is depicted in this graphic novel.  Krosoczka does a wonderful job of showing the triumphs and trials the Lunch Lady and her sidekick Betty experience during their  showdown with the League of Librarians.  Readers see the Lunch Lady crashing to the ground and her sidekick's Celery Staff destroyed by the powerful jaws of a wolf as both are overpowered by the League of Librarian's magical weapons.  Although things look bleak for the Lunch Lady and her sidekick, they are rescued by the Breakfast Bunch kids and together, are able to capture the evading villains.  This gives readers a satisfying conclusion as they realize hope and victory can still prevail in the face of evil.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPTS

COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "Jarrett Krosoczka's new graphic novel series, rendered in black, white, and yellow, inspires laughter in everything from its wild premise to clever details that extend the pleasure in countless ways."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.”

5.  CONNECTIONS

- Invite students to read the other graphic novels in the Lunch Lady series:

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE.  ISBN  0375846832

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE AUTHOR VISIT VENDETTA.  ISBN  0375860940

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE SUMMER CAMP SHAKEDOWN.  ISBN 9780375860959

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE BAKE SALE BANDIT.   ISBN  0375867295

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE FIELD TRIP FIASCO.  ISBN  0375867309

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE MUTANT MATHLETES.  ISBN  0375870288

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE PICTURE DAY PERIL.  ISBN  0375870350

Krosoczka, Jarrett J.  LUNCH LADY AND THE VIDEO GAME VILLAIN.  ISBN  0307980790

Show the following book trailer to capture their interest in the series:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bWLFSW839tY

- Have students celebrate "School Lunch Superhero Day" on May 3rd and show their recognition and appreciation for all the cafeteria staff do to keep students healthy.  See a message from author Jarrett J. Krosoczka to learn more about what inspired this event:  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NrYfuGvjuN8#!