Saturday, August 29, 2009

Review: Lunch Lady Books

Summary: 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! - Knopf

Summary: Serving justice . . . and lunch!

Lunch Lady can sniff out something rotten like no one else—and there’s definitely something rotten going on in the library. The usually friendly librarians have become cold and secretive. Even Dee can’t seem to crack a smile out of them. What darkness may lurk in the hearts of librarians? Lunch Lady is on the case! And Hector, Terrence, and Dee are along for a wild ride! -- Knopf

If you are looking for a very entertaining middle grade series that is sure to get kids reading, then you should check out LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE and LUNCH LADY AND THE LEAGUE OF LIBRARIANS by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. These two graphic novels are the first in a new series of very funny books about a crime-fighting lunch lady. I thought they were just hilarious!

One thing that I really like about these books are that even the most reluctant readers will enjoy them. For one thing, they are in the form of a graphic novel so there are tons of pictures with only a few words per page. They are also a very quick read so kids can get through a complete book without getting frustrated. It's also an added benefit that these stories are action-packed and very funny. I am predicting that kids are going to love the Lunch Lady and her adventures!

I love the idea of having a lunch lady act as a secret crime-fighting superhero -- what a creative idea! I guess the author got the idea for this character when he visited his elementary school and found out that his lunch lady was still there. Not only is Lunch Lady a memorable character, but I also really liked her sidekick Betty who develops all sorts of creative crime-fighting gadgets. I was especially fond of the Lunch Tray laptop and the Hover Pizzas.

There is more exciting news about the LUNCH LADY series. Amy Poehler is going to star in a movie adaptation based on the Lunch Lady character. I adore Amy Poehler, and I can't wait to see how these books and the characters are brought to life. I'm hoping the movie is fantastic so more kids will want to read these books (and therefore more books.) And I'm also very happy that there are two more Lunch Lady books in the works. LUNCH LADY AND THE AUTHOR VISIT VENDETTA will be out in December, and LUNCH LADY AND THE SUMMER CAMP SHAKEDOWN is scheduled to hit shelves in summer 2010.

Booking Daughter thought these books were really cute too. She's probably a little old for these books (or at least she thinks she is); however, she did think they were funny. She thought that maybe boys would like them more than girls, but keep in mind that she is a major "girly girl."

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of these books.

8 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Those books do sound like a lot of fun! I do think the boys that used to hang around my house would have enjoyed them.

Beth F said...

I love that idea of the lunch lady having a secret life. Too funny.

Unknown said...

Sounds like something my son would devour (pardon the pun). He reads longer chapter books, but the shorter graphic novels keep him interested and much more excited about reading.

joyh82 said...

Since I work for the library I will really have to check on these..they soundfunny.

Jenn's Bookshelves said...

My son and I saw these the last time we went to the bookstore. We'll definitely need to pick them up the next time we go!

kalea_kane said...

Doesn't this look like a fun series! I love the cover! I bet this would be great for my nephew! Thanks for the review.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever seen the Adam Sandler/SNL skit with the lunch lady? Too funny.

My mom was a lunch lady. Seriously. And since I was once a substitute teacher, I might just have to get that one for her for Christmas. :-)

bks2plz said...

Hi, I am an new author and my new fantasy novel, "Gateway to DreamWorld," was released on August 12th. It is a book I feel you would enjoy reading.

It has received great reviews and I would like to get your personal review of it. The book is available on Amazon.com or Barnes&Nobles.com.

Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated.

Brenda Estacio