Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
By Jarrett J. Krosoczka
1. Bibliography
2. Plot Summary
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is an exciting graphic novel about a school cafeteria lady called Lunch Lady who mysteriously fights crime with her sidekick and fellow lunch lady named Betty. The story begins with Lunch Lady capturing three robbers who stole money from a bank. Then Lunch Lady goes to work and is seen serving breakfast to the Breakfast Bunch, made up of three students Hector, Dee, and Terrance. As she is serving them breakfast she meets an unusual new substitute. The substitute Mr. Pasteur says that Mr. O’Connell is out sick and he will be filling in. Lunch Lady becomes very suspicious because Mr. O’ Connell hasn’t been sick in twenty years. She goes with Betty to the secret boiler room behind the refrigerator and the two of them keep an eye on Mr. Pasteur and the other teachers.
Meanwhile Hector, Dee, and Terrance are dealing with school bullies, tons of homework from Mr. Pasteur, and a desire to know who the Lunch Lady really is. After school Lunch Lady follows Mr. Pasteur while the Breakfast Bunch is following her. We soon learn that Mr. Pasteur is a Cyborg created by a teacher at the school and Lunch Lady and the kids land right in the middle of a warehouse full of his Cyborg army. Will they make it out of the warehouse in one piece? Read this adventurous story and find out what happens to Lunch Lady and Hector, Dee, and Terrance.
3. Critical Analysis
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is an exciting action packed graphic novel about a cafeteria lady who fights crime with the help of her sidekick and fellow lunch lady, Betty. Lunch Lady’s real name is never revealed and she is always referred to as Lunch Lady throughout the book. The author Krosoczka uses comic book style boxed frames mixed with full page spreads and only the colors black, white, and yellow in this visually appealing comical book. As Lunch Lady is snooping around trying to figure out who the suspicious new substitute Mr. Pasteur is, the Breakfast Bunch kids Hector, Dee, and Terrance are wondering about who Lunch Lady really is. Lunch Lady is trying to solve a mystery and overthrow and evil plot involving cyborgs in order to save her school and Hector, Dee, and Terrance follow her and land themselves in big trouble.
Though this book is a fantasy novel there are realistic elements that children can identify with such as the school setting, dealing with bullies, homework and strange cafeteria food. Krosoczka also packs this book with comical scenes such as when Lunch Lady tries out the spat-copter gadget that goes crazy and causes her to fly around the room and when Lunch Lady spies on the teachers and finds Mr. Johnson reciting poetry about beans.
Krosoczka’s easy to read vocabulary, detailed pictures, and action words, like “crash and swoosh,” make this book easy to understand and an exciting read. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute has a reading level of 2nd grade and up, but students from grades two to five would probably also enjoy reading this book. I highly recommend the Lunch Lady series by Krosoczka for its Mystery, Humor, and Action packed plots.
4. Review Excerpts
2009 Winner of Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers"
2010 Winner of Cooperative Children'sBook Center Choices
Nominee of theNew York State
2010 Winner of Cooperative Children's
Nominee of the
Booklist-This tongue-in-cheek super heroine graphic novel will hit the spot for chapter-book readers. Lunch Lady and Betty, her assistant in both the cafeteria and her role of wrong-righting super sleuth, investigate the strange case of an absent teacher, his creepy substitute, and a plan to grab the Teacher of the Year Award by truly foul means. Three little kids join in the action as Lunch Lady, equipped with a variety of high-tech kitchen gadgets like a spatu-copter and a lunch-tray laptop, tracks a cleverly disguised robot to his maker’s lab, where a whole army of cyborgs require kicking, stomping, and the wielding of fish-stick nunchucks. Yellow-highlighted pen-and-ink cartoons are as energetic and smile-provoking as Lunch Lady’s epithets of “Cauliflower!” and Betty’s ultimate weapon, the hairnet. There is a nice twist in the surprise ending, and the kids’ ability to stand up to the school bully shows off their newfound confidence in a credible manner. Little details invite and reward repeat readings with visual as well as verbal punning. Grades 2-4. --Francisca Goldsmith
Kirkus Review-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 chicken-patty 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 Spatu-copter, Chicken Nugget Bombs and Lunch Tray Laptop, the two are on the case. This graphic novel alternates between boxy, regular panels and full-page 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 (Graphic fiction. 7-10)
5. Connections
Have you ever wondered what your teachers or cafeteria ladies are like out of school? In Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute the students follow Lunch Lady after school to learn more about her. A better way of learning more about someone is to interview them. Teach the students about interviews and what kinds of questions are usually asked in an interview. Ask different teachers and faculty for permission to let your students interview them. Then put the students into groups and have them conduct their interviews during a set aside time and share interesting facts about the person they interviewed with the class.
Another good idea and alternative to an interview would be to have guest speakers come and speak to your class or in your library such as policeman, fireman, or parents of the students. The students can create and choose good questions to ask the guest speaker.
Read other books in the Lunch Lady series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Do a character analysis of Lunch Lady using a graphic organizer such a character map. What qualities does Lunch Lady have that make her a hero?
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians: Lunch Lady #2 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 9780375846847
Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta: Lunch Lady #3 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 9780375860942
Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown
Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale
Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco: Lunch Lady #6 by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 9780375867309
Research and learn more about Jarrett J. Krosoczka and read other books he has written besides the Lunch Lady Series.
Annie Was Warned by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0375815676
Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0553111729
Good Night, Monkey Boy by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0440417989
Max for President by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0440417897
Punk Farm by Jarrett J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0440417934
Punk Farm on Tour by Jarret J. Krosoczka ISBN: 978-0375833434
This is Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s website where you can find more information about him.
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