Word -- flashback

Last month, I had a fantastic time at Word in Brooklyn, yucking it up with the very talented graphic novelists Matt Phelan (Storm in the Barn), Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle series) and Chris Giarusso (G-Man: Learning to Fly).

Here we are posing for the camera:


Here we are enjoying each other's work:



And here are Eric and Matt so graciously volunteering to dress as Lunch Lady and Betty:

Finally saw LL in Times Sq in person!

It was quite possibly the most surreal experience of my life.

(It's only up for a few seconds, but MAN is it cool!)

These 5th graders Love Their Lunch Ladies

Check it out! The 5th graders at Stratton Elementary in Arlington, MA paid tribute to their lunch ladies by making them specially designed Lunch Lady aprons. I hope that after serving lunch, these lunch ladies will enjoy reading about serving justice!

Gadgets from Kids

Here are some more fantastic gadget ideas for Lunch Lady sent in by kids!




Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Sketchbook Saturday

Catch phrase brainstorming - 2005

Drawings from kids

Check out these great drawings by Frankie!





Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Twin cities -- THIS weekend!

Attention citizens of the Twin Cities, I'm coming your way! I'm still awaiting my invitation to Paisley Park, but perhaps Prince will turn up at one of these great events.



Rhythm and Words: a free family music and book festival presented by Dakota County Library
Saturday, June 12th at 1PM Festival runs from 10am–6 pm
Burnsville Performing Arts Center
12600 Nicollet Ave.
Burnsville, MN



Wild Rumpus Books
Sunday, June 13th at 12:30 PM
2720 West 43rd Street
Minneapolis, MN






The Red Balloon Bookshop
Sunday, June 13th at 3PM
891 Grand Avenue
St Paul, MN

LL in Times Sq

The cover for Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is on display in Times Sq, along with the other winners in the Children's Choice Book Awards, for the whole month of June! Look for it on the Toys R Us jumbotron screen!



My buddy, Steve, snapped this picture for me. I'll be heading in to NYC next week to see it myself!

The Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka Memorial Youth Scholarship Fund at the Worcester Art Museum

I was a lucky kid. I had two incredible parents who loved me beyond measure. They also happened to be my grandparents. Joe and Shirl always encouraged me to follow my own passions and always supported and fostered my creative efforts. They always made sure that I had pads of paper on long car trips, always stocked art supplies in the house and bought me a drafting table for my 14th birthday (which I still use to this day). They were even brave enough to eventually send me to college to study art. A remarkable decision for two people who came of age during the Great Depression.

One of Joe and Shirley's greatest gifts to me, one that would have a profound impact on my creative path, was to send me to art classes at the Worcester Art Museum. I'll never forget when my grandfather walked into my bedroom, when I was in the 6th grade. Public funding had all but eliminated arts education in the Worcester public schools at the time. He told me that it was up to me, but he wanted to send me to classes at the Worcester Art Museum. I was beyond thrilled. I took classes there from 6th through 12th grade, taking courses in comics, illustration, animation, and drawing. I met other kids who shared an interest in the arts, I was encouraged by the faculty members and it taught me that this talent I had for telling stories with pictures could make for a viable career.

Now that both Joe and Shirl are no longer with us, I reflect on what they have done for me and I am answering a call. I realize that there are lots of kids in my hometown who might be in a similar situation that I was in as a kid, but whose caretakers might not have the resources to send them to classes at the Worcester Art Museum. So I am announcing here, the "Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka Memorial Youth Scholarship Fund" at the Worcester Art Museum. My goal will be to contribute on a yearly basis from my own funds, as well as hold annual eBay auctions before the holiday season and hold raffles at my book signings in Worcester, MA. It may send two kids per year, it may send twenty. Either way, Joe and Shirl will continue to foster the creative efforts of Worcester's youth.

With the recent passing of my grandfather, some have asked if there was a charity they could donate to in his name. If you are so inclined, donations in the form of a check or a credit card can be sent to:

Worcester Art Museum
c/o Suzy Bonner
55 Salisbury St.
Worcester, MA 01609

Checks can be made to the Worcester Art Museum with the “Krosoczka Memorial fund” in the memo line or attached in the form of a note. Credit card donations (Visa, MC, or AmEx) can be sent in the form of a note with the card holders name, CC#, expiration date, and desired amount of donation.


Joe and Shirley gave me so much. I am who I am because of them. I do what I do because of them. They even gave me my nickname. My grandfather was always JDK and I, JJK.

Sketchbook Saturday

Breakfast Bunch character studies - 2005

Interview on Kidsreads.com

The good people over at Kidsreads.com posted an interview with yours truly. We cover the Lunch Lady books, the movie adaptation and my upbringing. Check it out over at www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-krosoczka-jarrett.asp .

Gadgets from Kids

Look! More awesome LL gadgets by kids!





Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Sketchbook Saturday

Milmoe character study - 2005

Flower Power

Here is the artwork that I created for Target's May carnival at St. Jude hospital. Hope everyone is enjoying this "spring" weather!

Gadgets from Kids

Here are some more great LL gadgets sent in by kids!



Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Random Acts of Reading

There is a new book blog in town and I was honored to have been asked to design the logo. Check out http://randomactsofreading.wordpress.com for the latest in book suggestions, editor and author interviews and plenty more good kid-lit related material.

Sketchbook Saturday

2005 brainstorming session

Set Your DVRs

The good people from the Children's Book Council will be on the CBS Early Show on Saturday morning, chatting up the winners of the Children's Choice Book Awards. Look for a flash of Lunch Lady yellow on your TV screens!

No sleep 'till Brooklyn! At WORD this Saturday.

Hey Brooklynites -- come on out to Word this Saturday at 1PM for their "Graphic Novel Spectacular for Kids".

Here is the official description:

An afternoon of readings, improvisational drawing and activities, featuring: Frank Cammuso (Knights of the Lunch Table), Chris Giarusso (G-Man: Learning to Fly), Jarrett Krosoczka (Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown) Matt Phelan (The Storm in the Barn) and Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom).

Here is Word's info: 126 Franklin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222 | 718-383-0096

See you there!

Word.

Now Offering Virtual Author Visits

Beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, we here at Studio JJK will be offering a Virtual Author Visit program.

Check out all of the info over at www.studiojjk.com/virtualvisits.html. See yah on the Internets!

LL4 Book Tour

Before you pack your bags for summer camp, come on out to see me at one of these great events for Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown!


May 22 - 1 PM - Brooklyn, NY - WORD! Graphic Novel Spectacular!

June 5 - 11 AM - S. Hadley, MA - Odyssey Bookshop

June 12 - 1PM - Burnsville, MN - Rhythm and Words Music and Book Festival - Burnsville, MN - Event organized by the Dakota Library System and hosted at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center

June 13 - 12:30PM - Minneapolis, MN - Wild Rumpus Bookstore

June 13 - 3:00PM - St. Paul, MN - Red Balloon Bookshop

June 25 - 9AM-3PM - Worcester, MA - Worcester State College Author's Institute

Sketchbook Saturday

LL investigating - 2005

What Scieszka is Reading

Check out what the Stinky Cheese Man told the Scholastic folk he's reading these days. Looks like I owe the Scieszka PayPal another five bucks . . .

Now I know how Kelly Clarkson felt....

...but Kelly Clarkson never got to meet Judy Blume!

Are you there, God? It's me, JJK

Thank you, thank you, thank you -- to all of the kids who voted in the Children's Choice Book Awards! Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is "3rd and 4th Grade Book of the Year"! I am humbled and honored by your support! And thank you to all of the teachers, librarians, parents and booksellers who have been turning their kids on to the Lunch Lady books. Your support means absolutely everything to me.

My buddy, Chad Beckerman, who was sitting in the row behind me, shot a video of my acceptance speech. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. (It may take a second to load.)

Here I am with the amazing crew at Random House Children's Books. If it weren't for these guys, Lunch Lady would live only in my sketchbook. Thank you to the best team in publishing!

And here are some pictures from the evening. I was constantly star-struck at every turn. (Please pardon what will be an excessive amount of exclamation points.)

Katherine Patterson!

Bridge to Terabithia!!!!

Peter Brown accepting the award for "Illustrator of the Year".

I remember Pete telling me about The Curious Garden years ago. I knew back then that the book would be something special. It is that and so much more!

SCIESZKA! (And me trying to figure out how to work my very old camera.)

Judi Barrett!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!!!

*note Jerry Pinkney in background

Judi Barrett and Jerry Pinkney!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and The Lion and the Mouse!!!

*note Jerry Pinkney in foreground

Mr. Gordon 39 Clues Zoobreak Korman!

Now as the saying goes, behind every good man, is a good woman. That saying is almost true, next to me is the best woman in the entire world and I am lucky to have her. Gina is such a huge support and when I can't find my garment bag to schlep my suit across the country, she very happily lets me borrow her Vierra Bradley bag. Quilted with pink bows and flowers. Yes, Gina is enjoying every second of this . . .

LL4 - on shelves now!

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown is now available! Lunch Lady and the crew leave the halls of Thompson Brooke School for a summer of outdoor tranquility. But of course, something is not right at Camp Fun Times . . .

Gadgets from Kids

I've been getting lots of great LL gadget ideas from kids. I'm excited to be finally posting a few. There are more to come in the following weeks!






Do you have a note or a drawing that you'd like to share? I would love to see them!
They can be emailed to me via props@studiojjk.com or mailed to:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
PO Box 60155
Florence, MA 01062

Sketchbook Saturday

Cyborg Substitute sketches - 2005

LL5 sneak peek

I've been hard at work on Lunch Lady # 5 -- Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (on shelves 12/28/10).

I just finished the cover design. Here's a sneak peek: