BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375946837
PLOT SUMMARY
In this graphic novel, three nerdy students wonder what the lunch lady does outside of school. Does she have a thousand cats? A family? As they decide to follow her around, a favorite teacher from school goes missing and a suspicious-looking substitute takes his place. The lunch lady and her trusty sidekick, the other lunch lady, disappear into their secret lair under the school to figure it out. The lunch lady puts on her super, powerful yellow apron and yellow rubber gloves and springs into action. When she discovers clues indicating that the substitute teacher may not be human, she follows him to a warehouse- with the Breakfast Bunch right behind her. She uncovers the mad science teacher’s evil plans, defeats the robot army he has created, and protects the students using her spatula-copter, fish stick nunchucks, and chicken nugget bombs. By the end of the novel, the students have been inspired by the lunch lady’s awesomeness and stand up to the bully. Of course, they win, and the lunch lady continues making lunch and secret weapons.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this fast-paced graphic novel, Kroscoczka creates a new breed of superhero- the school lunch lady. His believable characters- three nerdy kids who are picked on by the school bully- follow the extra-curricular activities of the school lunch lady- who is sweet and kind, until she slips down below the school…
Kroscoczka creates a new version of the superhero. The lunch lady meets all the criteria of a typical superhero: she has cool gadgets, a sidekick, a secret identity complete with her superhero outfit of yellow apron and yellow rubber gloves, a hidden, high-tech lab, and an uncanny ability to perform karate.
This low fantasy graphic novel is perfect for students because the graphics and simple text make the text accessible to all reading levels. The story is grounded in reality because they all know lunch ladies, but has the element of fantasy because they can now imagine their lunch ladies performing secret karate down beneath the school (maybe this could lead to wider respect for lunch ladies?). This novel is also fabulous because it has a simple but powerful message, and students can connect to the fears and concerns of other students their same age.
This is the first graphic novel I have ever read, and I loved it. I loved the lunch lady’s apron swinging out like a cape and I loved the story told through illustrations and dialogue that children will get a kick out of.
AWARDS AND REVIEWS
- Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices Winner
- IRA Children’s Choices Winner
- Kid’s Indie Next List “Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers” Winner
- New York State Charlotte Award Nominee
- From Booklist: This tongue-in-cheek superheroine graphic novel will hit the spot for chapter-book readers. ... Yellow-highlighted pen-and-ink cartoons are as energetic and smile-provoking … Little details invite and reward repeat readings with visual as well as verbal punning.
- From Kirkus Review: 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.
CONNECTIONS
- Read the following books in this- LUNCH LADY series.
- Have students interview the lunch ladies and gentlemen on their campus to see what they really do in their time off.
- Have students tour the cafeteria to see what goes on in there and what gadgets they actually use.
- Write a story about one of the other school employees on campus and what “super” things they might be doing on their own time.
Image One Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jarrett-j-krosoczka/lunch-lady-and-the-cyborg-substitute/
Image Two Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
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