GRAPHIC NOVEL

LUNCH LADY and the SUMMER CAMP SHAKEDOWN

written by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Alfred A. Knopf

New York, New York 

2010

ISBN: 978-0-375-86095-9

SUMMARY

Several young people have dreamed of going to summer camp since they were little, but now that the time has come they are having second thoughts.  No computers, no video games, no electronics.  They weren’t sure how they would have any fun at all. 

Once they arrived, the counselors made it seem like they would have a good time, but then mysterious things started to happen.  A swamp creature started being seen around camp, causing many activities to be cancelled.

The Lunch Lady and her cohort, Betty, decide to figure out what is really going on.  They pull out all the stops and use the tools of their trade to solve the mystery: cookie camera, taco-vision night goggles, hamburger headphones and the underwater bendy-straw breathing apparatus are just a few.

The Lunch Ladies don’t give up and the campers help them track the swamp thing.  The campers are tired of everything being cancelled and they are determined to put an end to the nonsense.  It seems that the Assistant Director Ray Magee gets in the way of their sleuthing, but they persevere and apprehend the culprit.  All is well for the summer campers.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The children, although not well developed, seem like typical school kids, but the lunch ladies have an almost super-hero quality.  The bus trip and the camp experience (minus the swamp monster) are fairly true to life.  Camp life is realistic, with swimming, arts and crafts, cabin wars, and lunch in the dining hall.  As it turns out, even the camp swamp monster is fairly real, in the sense that it is a counselor playing a prank.

The dialogue bubbles contain short sentences, allowing children to follow this light-hearted story easily.  This is a fast paced story, with little extraneous text, but it does give readers some important topics to think about: lying, bullying, and jealousy. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - The two-color art is loopy and energetic, with varied, easy-to-follow page layouts. Jokes and puns are sprinkled throughout to keep the energy high until the exciting finale.

BOOKLIST - Krosoczka’s inventive visual details, spot-on characterizations, and grade-school humor make this a standout graphic-novel series.

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE - Somewhat reminiscent of old "Scooby Doo" cartoons, Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown spotlights a goofy plot full of Krosoczka's usual cafeteria-themed superhero gear. Younger kids with an appreciation for silliness will love it.

CONNECTIONS  

Have class discussions about lying, bullying, and jealousy.  Discuss problems these behaviors may cause and perhaps some positive ways of dealing with these feelings and behaviors.

Ask students to write and draw two more pages showing what campers do after the mystery is solved.

 AWARDS

2011 Children's Choice Book Award Nominee

2011 Children's Choice Award Winner

2012 New York State Charlotte Award Nominee

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010.