Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (Lunch Lady Series #1)

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Overview

From the author of National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo.

Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375846830
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/28/2009
Series:	Lunch Lady Series , #1
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	38,945
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	GN240L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author-illustrator of Punk Farm, Punk Farm on Tour, Max for President, and Baghead. He lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

In this campy graphic novel series debut, Krosoczka (Punk Farm) introduces Lunch Lady, a scrappy, permed crime fighter with rolled-up sleeves, yellow dishwashing gloves and an apron. Down in the school's boiler room, she and her older sidekick, Betty, test gadgets (like a handheld spatula-helicopter and a banana boomerang) and keep an eye on things. Three children—Hector, Dee and Terrence—speculate about Lunch Lady's after-school life and follow her when she jumps on her moped, in hot pursuit of a suspicious substitute teacher. Krosoczka's plot is somewhat thin: the title and cover illustration announce the trouble with the sub; the only mysteries are the mastermind and motive behind the sub's deployment. Yet Krosoczka crafts Lunch Lady as a tough, capable heroine who deploys such exclamations as “Nutritious!” and bon mots like “Should I serve up some whaaamburgers and cries?” when on a robot-destroying tear. With plenty of silliness and slapstick in the text and panel art alike, this comic should alleviate lunch-line boredom with visions of servers wielding fishstick-nunchucks and growling, “Today's special is a knuckle sandwich.” Also available: Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. Ages 7–10. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Punk Farm creator Krosoczka breaks out of picture books with this agreeably silly graphic novel for young readers. Classmates Hector, Dee and Terrence have always wondered about the Lunch Lady: What does she do when she's not making chickenpatty pizza? Tending to her many cats? Taking care of her family? After some amateur sleuthing, the kids discover that their Lunch Lady is out fighting the forces of evil, of course, with her trusty sidekick, Betty. This dynamic duo uncovers a nefarious plot hatched by a villainous teacher to overrun the school with cyborg substitutes. Backed up by Betty's ingenious arsenal of amalgamated cafeteria utensils including Spatucopter, Chicken Nugget Bombs and Lunch Tray Laptop, the two are on the case. This graphic novel alternates between boxy, regular panels and fullpage 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. Publishes simultaneously with Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians (9780375946844; paper 9780375846847). (Graphic fiction. 710)

Kirkus Reviews