Bibliography
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-94684-4.
Plot Summary
LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS is the second book in Jarrett Krosoczka’s LUNCH LADY series of graphic novels featuring an elementary school cafeteria worker, her assistant Betty, and a group of kids known as the Breakfast Bunch who are secret crime fighters. In this volume a new video game system is being released, the X-Station 5000, which does not sit well with the League of Librarians, an evil organization composed of the elementary school, public and high school librarians who see the new video games as corrupting the children and preventing them from enrolling in the schools Read-A-Thon. The night the new X-Stations are delivered the League of Librarians arrives with their deadly weapons, Book Beasts, animals they have summoned from popular children’s books like BLACK BEAUTY and THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, that proceed to destroy all the X-Stations until the timely arrive of the Lunch Lady and Betty. The Lunch Lady takes over the Read-A-Thon, since the librarian is now in jail, and she combines the reading with the video games; her rule being “Read while you wait to play.”
Critical Analysis
Krosoczka’s Lunch Lady and Betty represent the typical idea of superhero and sidekick. They have normal everyday jobs, but behind the scenes they work to fight crime. They have a hideout in the school, the boiler room, and a wide array of gadgets. The Breakfast Bunch are also portrayed in a sidekick role, and are also characters that appeal to younger readers. They have average childhood interests; and even have trouble with bullies at school; beyond that The Breakfast Bunch are superhero crime fighters. Younger readers will see average children who through intelligence and cunning can be extraordinary.
The plot follows a traditional superhero storyline as well with the villains concocting an evil plan and the heroes working together to defeat them and stand up for what is right. There are two distinct settings in which the plot unfolds, the school and the docks where the battle to stop the destruction of the video game systems takes place.
Krosoczka makes a successful effort to be evocative of the superhero comic book in the style of this graphic novel as well. The villains have quirky names like Rhonda Page and Jane Shelver, representing the types of characters they are, in this case librarians. Also, typical phrases of exclamation are used. For example, the Lunch Lady shouts “Great Tuna!” when she discovers the League has obtained deadly weapons. Phrases like this are common in this genre of writing. The Lunch Lady’s phrases reflect her job, they all revolve around food.
The illustrations are very cartoon like and drawn in four colors, black, white, gray and yellow. The yellow serves to highlight and enhance both the illustrations in general and key features within them. For example, the Book Beasts are all in yellow as are the Breakfast Bunch’s costumes.
A universal theme is present here, good triumphing over evil. The Lunch Lady and her sidekicks prevent the League of Librarians from taking over the world and destroying the video games. Also, by allowing the students to play the new video game system as a reward for participating in the Read-A-Thon, children realize that reading is a positive activity, but they can have other interests as well.
Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review 2009: “With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.”
COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER CHOICES review 2010: “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.”
Connections
· A fun activity for children would be to have them create a superhero out of someone they see in their daily lives. Have the children extend their imagination by creating costumes, a hideout, gadgets and sidekicks.
· The RANDOM HOUSE website offers a Teacher’s Guide, video excerpt of the book and other information related to LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS. The website can be found at this URL http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375846847.
· Jarrett J Krosoczka has written several graphic novels in the Lunch Lady series including LUNCH LADY AND THE FIELD TRIP FIASCO ISBN 0375867309 and LUNCH LADY AND THE AUTHOR VISIT VENDETTA ISBN 0375860940.
· The website http://www.lunchladycomics.com/ offers various Resources, Activities and Videos for Teachers, book trailers and descriptions of each volume in the LUNCH LADY series along with additional interactive material.
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