The Lunch Lady series is one of the most circulated series in my school library. Therefore, you can imagine my students' excitement when Lunch Lady's creator, Jarrett J.Krosoczka, spent a rainy Tuesday afternoon in our school library. His infectious enthusiasm and dynamic presentation brought a ray of sunshine into the library.
His high-energy presentation focused on how he's always loved to write and tell stories. He briefly talked about the ten picture books he has written and illustrated. The largest part of his presentation took us through his creative process for creating a Lunch Lady book. The two main themes of his presentation were to always follow your dreams and the importance of perseverance. I'm certain this message encouraged many kids to draw, write, and read.
Jarrett gets an A+++ for a fantastic and memorable visit. Thank you, JJK!
"I learned that no matter how many times you get rejected, you should never give up. Keep trying!"
"I learned many things from Jarrett's visit. The most important one was to never give up on your creations and imaginations. You never know--they could become a reality."
"I love Jarrett's books."
"Having the author come to my school made me happy. I love his books and his personality. Thanks for this great experience."
"I learned that graphic novels are cool."
"Thanks to Jarrett's visit, I'm going to read the whole series."
"I learned to never give up on your dreams. Jarrett's visit was amazing and awesome."
"I learned that you need to try again. You can be successful. This happened to JJK through hard work and determination. People can take this as an example for success. Thank you for introducing us to JJK."
"Lunch Lady is the BEST graphic novel I have ever put my hands on."
"Jarrett Krosoczka is a very inspirational person. He told us that giving up is not an option."
"Mr. Krosoczka signed my book."
"Hi, Mr. Shoemaker. Oops. I mean Mr. Schu. I learned to never give up. Also, I learned that graphic novels are as worthy as any other book."
"It was cool to see how an author writes a graphic novel. JJK is a great artist."
"JJK inspired me to read Bake Sale."
"I like Jarrett's spiky hair."
"Jarrett's books are humorous and entertaining. They are great for first through fifth grade."
"It was fun meeting JJK. I hope I get to see him again."
"Jarrett is a funny guy."
"I was so excited when I met Jarrett. I could not speak."
What a wonderful surprise! Michelle Frey, Jarrett's brilliant editor, accompanied him to our school. Thank you, Michelle, for showing my students that an editor is a REAL PERSON.
*image taken from JJK's website
There are seven books in the Lunch Lady Series. Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril (Book 8) will be released on September 11, 2012.
