Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Image Credit: www.borders.com

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krosoczka, Jarrett. 2009. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375846830

2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Lunch Lady seems to be an ordinary school cafeteria worker, but students Hector, Dee, and Terrence find out that she is so much more than she appears to be when they follow her one day after school. The Lunch Lady grows suspicious of a substitute teacher that is filling in for Mr. O’Connell who has never missed one day in his twenty years of teaching. As she studies the substitute teacher, the Lunch Lady acts on her hunches and emerges as a crime fighter. She is fully equipped with James Bondish gadgets made by her sidekick Betty. Readers will delight in the lunch tray laptop, milk carton camera, “Spatu-copter,” and other clever culinary devices. Readers will enjoy this mystery and may be a little surprised at the conclusion of the story.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Using simple dialogues and simple illustrations, Jarret Krosoczka creates a very entertaining story. The illustrations throughout the book are black, white, and yellow in color, and they appear in different sizes. The cartoonish pictures of key characters are easy to recognize once they are introduced, and details that appear throughout the books add meaning to the story. Labeled gadgets and fun sound effects add a healthy dose of humor. With a handful of characters and a familiar setting, a mystery unfolds. Readers will follow the Lunch Lady heroine as she unravels the mystery of the odd substitute and the missing teacher. Readers will not be disappointed in this humorous crime fighter story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
BOOKLIST: “This tongue-in-cheek super heroine graphic novel will hit the spot for chapter-book readers.”
KIRKUS: “Filled with goofy puns and grayscale art with cheery yellow accents, this is a delightfully fun escapist read.”
Children's Choice Book Awards, 2010 Winner

5. CONNECTIONS
• Other Lunch Lady graphic novels include:
Krosoczka, Jarrett. LUNCH LADY AND THE SUMMER CAMP SHAKEDOWN. ISBN 9780375860959
Krosoczka, Jarrett. LUNCH LADY AND THE AUTHOR VISIT VENDETTA. ISBN 9780375860942
Krosoczka, Jarrett. LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS. ISBN
9780375846847
• Other school theme junior graphic novels:
Meister, Cari. BUS RIDE BULLY. ISBN: 9781434220592
Zidrou. THE CLASS STRUGGLE. ISBN 9781849180313