Favorite Series: Lunch Lady

Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
review copy purchased for my classroom

When all the sweets for the bake sale disappear after a sudden power outage, Lunch Lady and her sidekick Betty gather clues and identify suspects. Meanwhile, the Breakfast Bunch (and Orson, the safety patrol nerd) are kidnapped by Brenda, the evil bus driver. In the climax of the story, it's Buszilla vs. the Lunch-cycle. In the end, "Justice is served." "And baked goods." The bake sale is back on, and so is the field trip to the museum...which looks to be the next adventure for Lunch Lady (Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco, due out September 2011).

Why I love this series:
1. The art. The style fits the story perfectly.
2. Lunch Lady's curses: "Greasy Bacon!" "Porridge!" "Brussel Sprouts!"
3. The whole idea of the lunch lady as super hero. Doesn't this mean that ANYBODY might have super powers? ANYBODY could save the world and the bake sale?