Bibliography

 Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. Random House Children's Book.  ISBN-13: 978-0375846847

Plot Summary

Action! Silliness! Pictures galore!  It's no wonder why comic books are such a big hit with children.  In this Lunch Lady series, the lunch ladies are a secret crime fighting duo that takes on the scheme of the librarians that join together from different librarian positions.  The librarians want to take over the children by destroying all video games and then claim domination over the entire world. 

Critical Analysis

In this high interest graphic  novel, the author created an action packed comic book with a certain goofiness that will hook the younger audience.  This series isn't like some other comic books with a super hero that has a dark undertone that is commonly found in most comics.  This book is made to hook readers and make them laugh, so there is not a lot of character development. The meaning behind the story really sticks out to an actual librarian and readers.  I love that the librarians want children to read more but the book adds the silliness of video games corrupting their brains.  This book will entice the boys and girls with its usage of the snazzy gadgets they use to capture the librarians.  The illustration is fun, light and consistent.  This book will make you want to become a super hero librarian!

Reviews Excerpts/Awards

-WINNER 2010 Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices

-Children's Literature Review: When her Apple Alarm alerts her to a crime in progress, crime fighter Lunch Lady knows it is time to leap into action! Armed with her Taco-Vision Night Goggles and aided by her trusty sidekick/assistant server Betty, Lunch Lady serves up justice to everyone from muggers to crime syndicates, but, when Lunch Lady's young informants, the Breakfast Bunch, alert her to an evil plot by the League of Librarians to destroy all video games, can even a super-powered cafeteria worker stop a group of villains capable of sending an evil Black Stallion or Cheshire Cat against her? Inspired by author/artist Jarret J. Krosoczka's crazy ideas about his own elementary school lunch lady, much of the book's humor comes from Lunch Lady's cafeteria-themed gadgets, including the Spork Phone, Hairnet Nets, and Sonic Boom Juice Box. For a graphic novel meant to encourage reading, however, the story delivers some mixed messages about librarians, as the librarians are portrayed as video game-hating villains who knock people out with dictionaries and attack superheroes with evil versions of literary characters. At one point, the heroes even toss the librarians' books into the river to defeat the villains. Overall, the book plays with some clever concepts and provides some diversionary entertainment but is not particularly filling.

Connections   

-The students can create new gadgets the librarians can use.

-Read other books in this series, such as Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute.

-Create a comic book using another person from a school, for ex: principal, custodial worker, a music teacher etc.

-Write about what makes a super hero?