Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Written by: Jarret J. Krosoczka

Illustrated by: Jarret J. Krosoczka

Published by: Puffin Books, 1986

ISBN 0-525-44265-0

Plot Summary:

“Serving justice! And serving lunch!”

After the Breakfast Club finds out that the school librarian is out to destroy all video games, including the X-Station 5000, they alert their undercover, crime fighting lunch lady and her sidekick, Betty. Using her spork phone, celery staff, and linguini lasso, the lunch lady is able to terminate the librarian’s plans.

Critical Analysis:

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians is a comical and clever story of an unlikely super hero. Since the Lunch Lady stories are short and speedy, the characters in the story are not very well defined, but they definitely exhibit clear motives.  The story is set in an unspecific school, which helps all readers relate to the story. The plot is quick and exciting, so the story is a fast and easy read. The simple wording and large font makes this book a great pick for struggling readers. Readers will have so much fun reading this series, they’ll forget they are holding a book. The simple black and white illustrations, highlighted in bright yellow, are quirky and exaggerated. The story displays the classic theme of good vs. evil, and, in this case, good triumphs over evil. It’s refreshing to see the character of the lunch lady glorified in these books, and after reading, students will be begging their lunch ladies to show them to their secret lairs.

Awards and Reviews:

Choices (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) (2010)

School Library Journal: When not serving up French fries and gravy to students, Lunch Lady escapes to her secret kitchen lair to lead the life of a crime fighter. Using an assortment of lunch-themed gadgets (created by her sidekick Betty), she is definitely a quirky superhero. Tipped off by the Breakfast Bunch (three students who discovered Lunch Lady's crime-fighting alter ego in Book 1), she attempts to foil the plans of the evil League of Librarians, who seek to destroy all video games. The black-and-white pen-and-ink illustrations have splashes of yellow in nearly every panel. The clean layout, featuring lots of open space, is well suited for the intended audience. Terrence, Hector, and Dee become more developed in this second installment in the series, especially Dee, who asserts herself as the strong-willed leader of the group. The winking references to book fairs, read-a-thon enrollment, and media specialists fit well with the story line. With its appealing mix of action and humor, this clever, entertaining addition to the series should have wide appeal.

Children’s Literature: 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: Have children write and illustrate their own shortened comic strip about their lunch ladies saving the day and gift the comic strips to the school lunch ladies. Brainstorm new lunchroom related spy gadgets.

Related Titles:

Gutman, Dan. Mrs. LaGrange Is Strange. New York: Harper Trophy, 2005.

Gutman, Dan. Mrs. Roopy Is Loopy. New York: Harper Trophy, 2004.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

Krosoczka, Jarret J. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.

Loehr, Patrick. Mucumber McGee and the Lunch Lady’s Liver. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2008.

Pierce, Lincoln. Big Nate Our Loud. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011.

Sachar, Lewis. Sideways Stories from Wayside School. New York: Harper Trophy, 1978.

Sachar, Lewis. Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. New York: Harper Trophy, 1995.

Sachar Lewis. Wayside School Is Falling Down. New York: Harper Trophy, 1989.