Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Krosoczka at the 2015 National Book Festival
Krosoczka at the 2015 National Book Festival
Born (1977-12-22) December 22, 1977 (age 46)
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupationgraphic novelist
Notable awardsHarvey Award (Hey, Kiddo)

National Book Award finalist (Hey, Kiddo)

Odyssey Award (Hey, Kiddo) Audie Award (Hey, Kiddo)

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Non-Fiction (Sunshine)
Website
www.studiojjk.com

Jarrett J. Krosoczka (/krʌˈzɒskʌ/ krə-ZOSS-kə) (born December 22, 1977, in Worcester, Massachusetts) is the author and illustrator of several graphic novels and picture books, most famously his Lunch Lady series.

Life

[edit]

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.[1]

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.[2]

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 was in development with Amy Poehler in the lead role. Additional film and television options for Krosoczka’s work have been with DreamWorks Animation, Walden Media, and MGM. [3] Weston Woods produced an animated adaptation of Krosoczka’s Peanut Butter and Jellyfish.

Hey, Kiddo was a finalist in the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature,[4] and it won the 2019 Harvey Award for Book of the Year.[5]

Books

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Fresh Air for Oct. 16, 2018: 'Hey, Kiddo' Author Jarrett J. Krosoczka". NPR.org. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  2. ^ Maniaci, Mike (August 28, 2006). "Jarrett Krosoczka". The Career Cookbook.
  3. ^ Pfarrer, Steve (February 5, 2012). "Mass. children's writer flourishes after setbacks". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  4. ^ "The 2018 National Book Award finalists are in. Here's the full list". Vox. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  5. ^ Arrant, Chris (October 5, 2019). "And the Winners of the 2019 HARVEY AWARDS are..." Newsarama.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jarrett_J._Krosoczka&oldid=1254111753"