Everyone’s favorite Lunch Lady is back in a new adventure. In this installment, Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty, are a bit suspicious of Stefani, the fancy pants photographer being brought in to take the students’ school photographs. And when the Student Council money goes missing and Stefani disappears, Lunch Lady knows that something just isn’t right. She’s on the case, along with the students of The Lunch Bunch — Hector, Milmoe and Dee — to get that money back and the school pictures done right!
The Lunch Lady stories are always entertaining. Krosoczka comes up with inventive and unique gadgets that help Lunch Lady save the day and make readers laugh at the silliness of it all. The stories also contain good lessons for kids, in this particular story the moral is that telling the truth is the best policy, even if it implicates you in the process. Teaching lessons through stories can often come off as didactic, but in the Lunch Lady stories, these little gems are hidden so well that kids won’t even notice them. Lunch Lady and Betty are strong, clever female characters and The Lunch Bunch show that kids can definitely help save the day, too.
The illustrations are fun and sunny. The black, white, and bright yellow color scheme is eye-catching and makes these books stand out from all the rest. The cartoony nature of the drawings fit perfectly with the often-times unbelievable story. Readers will find these books easy to read, thanks to the traditional comic paneling and well placed and clear word bubbles. All the characters are easily recognized and the action-packed scenes are always supplemented with exclamation points and other comparable interjections and sound effects. Krosoczka’s illustrations are really unique to him, and with a distinctive character like Lunch Lady, they’d have to be!
What a great addition to the already stellar Lunch Lady series! A perfect book and series for humor lovers and for those who like to see baddies get their just desserts!
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril (Lunch Lady, vol. 8)
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
ISBN: 9780375870354
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012
