In his TED Talk, Jarrett J. Krosoczka talks about setting up for a presentation focused on his first children’s book in 2001. He’s gone on to publish many books since then, but that moment was pivotal for him because, as he set up the protection equipment in the cafeteria, he spotted his old lunch lady, Jeannie. Throughout their conversation, Krosoczka realized that, not only had Jeannie supported him and his brother through their elementary school years, but she’d also supported his uncle 20 years before. Moreover, it turned out that Jeannie actually had a life beyond being a lunch lady that involved having her own kids and grandkids. That encounter was the inspiration for Krosoczka’s middle-grade series, Lunch Lady, about a woman serving lunch… and justice!
“Hector, Terrence, and Dee have always wondered about their school lunch lady. What does she do when she isn’t dishing out the daily special? Where does she live? Does she have a lot of cats at home? Little do they know, Lunch Lady doesn’t just serve sloppy joes—she serves justice! Whatever danger lies ahead, it’s no match for LUNCH LADY!”
Available now from Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, the new hardcover version includes his heroic lunch lady dealing with “The Cyborg Substitute” and “The League of Librarians.” The Second Helping, set for an early 2023 hardcover release, will feature “The Author Visit Vendetta” and “The Summer Camp Showdown.”
Jeannie was delighted to be the inspiration for the series, and though she’d retired by its original 2009 launch, Krosoczka was able to track her down and share it with her “She was astounded to think that a chance encounter with her eight years prior got my imagination spinning and got this story brewing,” he tells WWAC. “I invited her to the launch for the book series and presented her with framed artwork of the character. Jeannie received a standing ovation from a room filled with generations of people she had fed over the years. Jeannie also signed copies of the book that night!”
Krosoczka later learned that Jeannie had recently been diagnosed with cancer, the disease eventually stealing her away several months later. At her wake, the framed Lunch Lady artwork sat next to her casket in a place of honor. Her husband told Krosoczka that “She loved every one of the kids she fed and loved what she did,” and thanked him for shining a spotlight on her — a spotlight she truly enjoyed, even signing books for nurses while in hospice care.
Bringing joy to Jeannie was so important to Krosoczka, but he didn’t stop there. On May 7, 2012 — Jeannie’s birthday — Krosoczka introduced School Lunch Hero Day, a national day to recognize and celebrate all school nutrition professionals and the difference they can make in a student’s day. Offering resources and information, the School Lunch Hero Day website reads, “Between preparing healthy meals for America’s students, adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies, and offering service with a smile, school nutrition professionals are true heroes.”
Once again drawing on Jeannie for inspiration, Krosoczka explains that School Lunch Hero Day connects back to his attending Jeannie’s wake. “I pinned her mass card up on a bulletin board in my studio and couldn’t help but think what a shame it was that she hadn’t been celebrated until after she retired. Because of the popularity of the Lunch Lady books, I had gained some social capital in the education space. So, I used all of that to create this national, annual day where kids across the country create unique art projects to express their gratitude.”
For Krosoczka, the day is special for three very important reasons:
- It lifts up the cafeteria staff.
- It encourages creativity in kids.
- It empowers kids to express their gratitude.
While the Lunch Lady series is intended to make readers laugh and have fun, Krosoczka’s work is also about educating people around the issues of food insecurity. Many children go to school hungry, which has an obvious detrimental effect on their mental and physical health and their ability to learn. Throughout his work, Krosoczka notes that, depending on the school district and their various policies, he is seeing a trend towards educating students about nutrition and healthy eating habits, as well as sourcing local products for meals, wherever possible. “What I see across the board is selflessness to make sure these kids eat regardless of their family’s financial stability. This was never more notable than in the early days of the pandemic. The lunch staff was the first group of people back in the school buildings. They got creative on how they would continue to prepare and distribute food. It brought me to tears.”
When he’s not busy creating stories and art, Krosoczka is happily talking about them in his podcasts, of which he has many. “I have long wanted to launch a podcast. But my ADD and my ambition had a meeting without me and decided it should be a slate of podcasts. Thankfully, the seasons won’t all launch simultaneously.” For now, Krosoczka is focused on his Origin Stories series, a podcast for young adults that asks graphic novelists “how did they come to be the incredible authors and artists we know them to be today?” Guests so far have included Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), Maia Kobabe (Gender Queer), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile). “Despite the varied backgrounds and upbringings, what is consistent is that there was at least one adult in the childhoods of these comics creators that believed in them.”
Krosoczka’s own origin story can be found in his award-winning graphic memoir, Hey, Kiddo, where he tells of trying to make his complicated life as normal as possible and how art helped him on his path.
Learn more about Jarrett J. Krosoczka and his work by spending some time at studiojjk.com.
