Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Jarrett J. Krosoczka ( ) (born December 22, 1977, in Worcester, Massachusetts) is the author and illustrator of a number of picture books, most famously his "Lunch Lady" series. Life. Krosoczka was raised entirely by his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka, who took legal custody of him when he was three because of his mother's drug addiction. He saw his mother only sporadically throughout his childhood, and didn't learn the truth about her addiction until he was in the fourth grade. The "J" in his professional name is in tribute to his late grandfather. He also  established the Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka Memorial Youth Scholarships at the Worcester Art Museum in tribute to his grandparents. The scholarships provide tuition to underprivileged children who are in unique familial situations. Krosoczka later went on to graduate from Rhode Island School of Design, and received his first book contract six months after graduation. (He had been submitting for two years at that point.) His first book, "Good Night, Monkey Boy", was published on June 12, 2001, by Random House. Krosoczka was also an instructor at Montserrat College of Art for four years. In 2003, Krosoczka was chosen by "Print  as one of their 20 Top New Visual Artists Under 30. A Universal Studios movie based on Krosoczka's Lunch Lady" series will feature Amy Poehler in the lead role. "Hey, Kiddo" was a finalist in the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and it won the 2019 Harvey Award for Book of the Year.