(1) YA This follow-up graphic memoir to Hey, Kiddo (rev. 9/18) is aesthetically similar to its predecessor but altogether different in subject and scope. Krosoczka chronicles his time at age sixteen volunteering at Camp Sunshine, a camp for pediatric cancer patients and their families. Jarrett's assignments are one-on-one time with thirteen-year-old Diego and intermittent check-ins with the Orfao family, who are there with Eric, a lively young camper with leukemia. Diego's health is in decline, resulting in his use of a wheelchair and his reluctance to attend camp, but through a shared love of superheroes (drawn on command by Jarrett), a connection is made. Similarly, Jarrett grows close to Eric Orfao and his siblings and mother. Joyful camp moments (campfires, fishing, arts and crafts) alternate with earnest conversations regarding mortality, faith, and personal struggles--and the tragic reality that not every camper will reach adulthood. Krosoczka's illustrations--using a lively holding line colored with orange, yellow, and gray washes, and panel layouts--actively contribute to the heartfelt storytelling, effectively expressing changes in perspective, mood, and significance. Chapter dividers provide artifacts such as letters, photographs, and drawings, etc.; appended with an epilogue and an author's note.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) YA In this sophisticated graphic memoir, Krosoczka recounts the triumphs and tragedies he experienced being raised by his grandparents. Regularly left in the dark regarding his family, Krosoczka eventually learns of his mother's addiction to heroin and of her habitual incarceration. Krosoczka's actual childhood art (from early crayon drawings to high-school gag comics) and handwritten letters are seamlessly inserted into the gracefully rendered, limited-palette illustrations.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(4) 4-6 Star Wars: Jedi Academy series. Victor returns to Jedi Academy (A New Class) and erroneously assumes he'll get the drama club lead, but more troubling is the inexplicable cyberbullying of his older sister. A dramatic revelation about their father brings the siblings together and showcases their friends' loyalty. Krosoczka's comedy relies heavily on franchise references; the graphic panels, school newspaper columns, and "Stargram" photos generate a quick pace.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) PS Because bunny Lucy refuses to surrender to naptime, a candy-related meltdown in the grocery store ("We'll just get a few," Lucy says; Daddy says, "No") escalates into a "naptastrophe!" At the end of the day, Lucy falls asleep face-first in her dinner. The human stand-ins are depicted in familiar parent-child situations. The illustrations effectively convey Lucy's sleep-deprived mood swings.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Star Wars: Jedi Academy series. Krosoczka takes over from Jeffrey Brown, introducing a new protagonist in this fourth series entry. Victor Starspeeder transfers to Jedi Academy but struggles to use the Force productively (especially in drama club), make friends, and pass his classes. Krosoczka attempts to sustain continuity with previous volumes, albeit using his own looser art style and different fonts, but the plot and conflicts feel recycled.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 The platypus detectives undertake their fourth adventure fighting crime and political corruption in all-animal Kalamazoo City. This time, a narwhal appears to be on a crime spree and the panda mayor is secretly working against the police. While the dialogue and setting echo old-fashioned noir tropes, the numerous black-and-white cartoon drawings should draw in fans of Krosoczka's popular Lunch Lady graphic novels.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) PS Sure, losing a balloon is disappointing, but someone flying by in a plane might enjoy the sight of it in the sky. This successful advice book spins negatives into positives as each upsetting situation--described on a solid-color page in white text and in an accompanying partially-colored line drawing--is followed by a spread joyfully revealing the clever silver lining.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 4-6 The Platypus Police Squad is on the case again in this third mystery set in animal-inhabited Kalamazoo City. When a mayoral candidate, Frank Pandini, is attacked by a boomerang, hardboiled platypus detective Rick Zengo is hired as the panda's bodyguard. Most of the fun lies in the old-fashioned crime-fighting tropes and silly gags. Black-and-white cartoons add to the charm.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) K-3 Collected from the genre's top authors and illustrators comes eight funny short comics that explore the delights and pitfalls of recess. Readers will rejoice in seeing favorite characters such as Babymouse and Lunch Lady while making new friends in debut stories. Gray-scale illustrations are enhanced with pops of bright orange, keeping continuity while each artist's signature style shines through.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 Lunch Lady and her sidekick Betty have been let go from Thompson Brook School because of the evil new superintendent's budget cuts. But the unlikely superhero gets back to business to help the Breakfast Bunch put a stop to Dr. Van Grindheimer's maniacal plans. This tenth and final graphic novel, featuring energetic highlighter-yellow-accented black-and-white art, is Lunch Lady's most epic good-versus-evil battle.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Though relentlessly taunted by Crabby, best friends Peanut Butter (a sea horse) and Jellyfish don't ignore his pleas for help when he is caught in a lobster trap. Citing jealousy as its root, Crabby apologizes for his bullying behavior and the three become friends. The colorful digitally collaged acrylics paint a happy setting for this tale of an unbelievably self-aware bully.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 4-6 Platypus detectives Zengo and O'Malley return for another crime-busting adventure. All of Kalamazoo City is excited about the new indoor/outdoor amusement park under the city dome, also the location for an upcoming blockbuster film. Things soon go haywire; who's trying to destroy the dome and why? Everyone is a suspect in this mystery overflowing with twists and detective-story tropes. Black-and-white cartoons punctuate the lightheartedness.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 With the Breakfast Bunch behind him, Hector is running for class president, but it proves to be a challenge when bully Milmoe joins the race. Meanwhile, a thief is stealing all the electronic devices in the school; the culprit faces off against Lunch Lady in a high-tech battle. This ninth graphic novel in the original superhero-with-a-twist series contains eye-catching yellow-accented black-and-white cartoons.

Reviewer: Margaret Nell Becker

(4) 4-6 A missing teacher, synthetic fish, and a history of organized crime culminate in a mystery for rookie Rick Zengo and his cantankerous partner on the Kalamazoo City Platypus Police Squad. With juvenile twists such as the duck-billed cops using boomerangs instead of guns, detective-story clichés and tropes abound in this lighthearted whodunit made even more kid-friendly by the black-and-white cartoons sprinkled throughout.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 The Breakfast Bunch kids join Mathletes, but Lunch Lady senses something unusual about their opposing team. Next there's a rash of acne, and Lunch Lady suspects the school photographer has a maniacal plan. As usual, the kids, perceptive quasi-superhero Lunch Lady, and her sidekick Betty save the day. Rollicking action, humor, and bold cartoons deliver in these series installments. Review covers these titles: Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes and Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 4-6 The Breakfast Bunch kids join Mathletes, but Lunch Lady senses something unusual about their opposing team. Next there's a rash of acne, and Lunch Lady suspects the school photographer has a maniacal plan. As usual, the kids, perceptive quasi-superhero Lunch Lady, and her sidekick Betty save the day. Rollicking action, humor, and bold cartoons deliver in these series installments. Review covers these titles: Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes and Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) K-3 When purple elephant Ollie comes to live with the McLaughlins, the family cat and their downstairs neighbor conspire to oust him. After being tricked into joining the circus, Ollie ends up right back where he belongs. The old-fashioned-seeming story benefits from its swift plotting, subtle humor, and bouncy acrylics.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Who stole all the bake sale goodies? Was it the disapproving health teacher, the grouchy janitor, the disgruntled bus driver--or someone else? Once again the Breakfast Bunch hits the clue trail with Lunch Lady to solve the mystery (readers paying attention will have guessed the culprit early on). Fans of this comic-style series will be entertained by the antics.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 4-6 The Breakfast Bunch members go to summer camp, where their super-hero pal Lunch Lady works in the canteen. Together they uncover the mystery of a swamp monster terrorizing the campers. Per usual with this graphic novel series, the ludicrous story line is merely a vehicle for Krosoczka's creatively named super-hero gadgetry and off-the-wall cartoon illustrations in bold black and white with vibrant highlighter-yellow accents.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Three friends (a.k.a. "the Breakfast Bunch") wonder what the lunch lady does when she's not cooking. Little do they know she's a superhero in disguise, complete with flying Spatu-copter and lunch tray laptop. This tongue-in-cheek graphic novel series, illustrated in bold black-and-white with vibrant highlighter-yellow accents, is a strong choice for superhero-spoof fans. Review covers these titles: Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta, Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister