The lunch witch is a fictional character who appears in children's books and movies. She is typically portrayed as an old and grumpy woman who has a knack for making disgusting and unappetizing food. The lunch witch is a source of fear and dread for children, as they know that their lunch will be ruined if she gets her hands on it. The lunch witch is often depicted as wearing a long black cloak and a pointed hat, with a broomstick always by her side. She has a wrinkled face, a large nose, and warts on her chin, further adding to her menacing appearance. Her only job is to take the lunch boxes of unsuspecting children and replace the contents with her hideous creations.
The lunch witch
The Lunch Witch by Deb Lucke is a grossly amusing tale about the shenanigans that follow Grunhilda the Black Heart, descended from a long line of misery-loving witches, when she loses her potions store, then her job at the Salem Haunted Museum, and is forced to become a lunch lady at the nearby Salem Elementary School.
Trouble begins brewing almost immediately in the form of Madison, a newly arrived student and not the brightest bulb in the box, who is struggling not to flunk out of all her classes.
When a basic encyclopedia entry causes Madison to assume that the new lunch lady is a witch, she decides she has nothing to lose by blackmailing Grunhilda into making her a potion that will boost her intelligence so she doesn’t fail school.
This puts Grunhilda in the mother of all binds—should she violate her family’s long upheld number one witch rule (Never be nice!), or do her ancestors proud by raining chaos upon a small child who dares to demand her help?
This book is delightful in a number of ways. Heavily inked to look like brown paper, there is an element of darkness to the entire story in the sense that like Grunhilda’s problem, nothing is ever black and white. Nearly every page contains some sort of stain, smear, or bug—just as if the paper this story was printed on came used straight from Grunhilda’s questionable cafeteria. While some stains are random, others are creative, deliberate special effects that tie into the action occurring in each panel.
Grunhilda (and Madison's!) plight will leave you entertained until the very end, when you can't help but wonder what they'll get themselves into next.
Oh No! The Lunch Witch is Knee Deep in Niceness!
In this sequel to 2014’s Lunch Witch, Grunhilda is still pulling shenanigans at the school cafeteria – lately, she’s been putting chopped-up pink erasers into the ham and beans – but there’s a soft spot on that black and crusty heart of hers. She tries to hide it from her ancestors and her familiars: she gets a letter from Madison, the student she kinda sorta befriended in the first book, and keeps it hidden under her mattress. But Mr. Williams, her dog, knows something’s up, and finds the letter. Distressed, he talks the familiars into finding a cure: a meanness potion from the book that IS NOT TO BE USED BY ANYONE OTHER THAN WITCHES. What could go wrong, right? Right.
Mr. Williams mixes up a positivity potion, further illustrating why the spell book is NOT TO BE USED BY ANYONE OTHER THAN WITCHES. The positive vibes spread to the whole town; the ancestors are aghast, and Brunhilda has to fix things before her own black and crusty heart gives way to the shiny happy people business that’s running rampant.
The first Lunch Witch novel is still hugely popular – it’s still circulating here in my library, and kids are still asking for it by name. Wait until I put this one up. I love the rainbow beam, almost capturing Brunhilda in its happy rays on the cover. The interior art is still wonderfully bleak, in its blacks, browns, and washed out whites; the occasional splashes of color are fun and add effect (and humor, especially when Mr. Williams has to wee). Add this one to your graphic novel collections and give a copy to your Lunch Witch fans; they’ll lap it up.
Teaching Lunch Witch in your classroom? There’s an Educator’s Guide on the Papercutz website – I hope they add one for the new book, but you can always expand on the first one by creating new vocabulary lists and creating some discussion questions about the new story. Visit The Lunch Witch’s website for “recipes”, character profiles, and a Bad Advice section.
Graphic Novel Resources
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Her only job is to take the lunch boxes of unsuspecting children and replace the contents with her hideous creations. In some stories, the lunch witch is portrayed as a mischievous but ultimately harmless character. She may delight in scaring children with her grotesque creations, but she never harms them in any real way.
Friday, July 15, 2016
The Lunch Witch
Every time I go to a conference I have to remind myself not to buy any books, because then I have to carry them home. This year at the International Literacy Association's annual meeting in Boston I was only there for a day, and I was traveling light, but I still ended up buying a few books. The first one I dove into was this one, The Lunch Witch.
Grunhilda is a witch who has fallen on hard times. She comes from a long line of witches who have been renowned for their historically horrible deeds, but times have changed and there is not much call for eating children and causing mass chaos. Also, the market for evil spells and potions has dried up, so she resorts herself to the want ads. Noting her penchant for mixing horrible things together, she eventually becomes a lunch lady.
Her life becomes complicated when she meets a girl named Madison who is the only one who seems to realize she is a witch. Madison is struggling in school, and she tries to hire Grunhilda to make her an intelligence potion. Grunhilda struggles with unfamiliar and entirely foreign feelings of niceness and altruism (she is a witch after all), but she does produce that potion for Madison. I won't spoil what happens, but an interloper adjusted the ingredients, and the result of that potion is unexpected to say the least.
One of my favorite parts of this book is just how dark it is. The artwork is pleasantly horrific and gray. The pages look greasy and strewn with food or other mucky things. But there is joy and heart in these scenarios and characters, and the entire enterprise comes off as highly enjoyable and funny. I read this whole book in one sitting, and I found the whole thing enchanting.
This darkly hilarious book was created by Deb Lucke, and it is the first entry in what will be a series I hope. She is a children's book illustrator and this is her first graphic novel. She speaks more about her inspiration and work on this book in this interview.
All of the reviews I have read of this book have been full of praise. Publishers Weekly both gave it a starred review, calling it "A wickedly funny start to this series." Nate Einhorn wrote, "Like a school lunch, THE LUNCH WITCH doesn’t look like you might expect, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t something to gobble up and enjoy." Esther Keller summed up, "This will be a great addition to any collection. Middle grade readers will devour this title."
Papercutz, this book's publisher, provides all kinds of resources and previews here. Grunhilda also has her own dedicated website here and it's chock full of fun, I mean awful, things!
In these tales, the lunch witch is often outwitted by clever and resourceful children who manage to escape her clutches and save their lunches. However, in other stories, the lunch witch is a true villain who takes pleasure in ruining children's meals. She is relentless in her pursuit of lunch boxes and will go to great lengths to get her hands on them. These stories often end with the lunch witch being defeated by the bravery and wit of the protagonist, resulting in her being banished or turned into something harmless. The lunch witch serves as a cautionary tale for children about the importance of appreciating and taking care of their meals. She teaches the lesson that it's important to be grateful for the food we have and not take it for granted. The lunch witch also shows the power of imagination and creativity in overcoming obstacles and challenging situations. Overall, the lunch witch is a fascinating and intriguing character that has captivated the imaginations of children for generations. Whether seen as a mischievous troublemaker or a true villain, the lunch witch serves as a reminder to children to value their meals and the effort that goes into preparing them..
Reviews for "The Lunch Witch's Secret Ingredient: Love, Laughter, and a Little Bit of Magic"
1. John - 2/5 - I didn't enjoy "The Lunch Witch" very much. The story felt quite predictable and the characters were not very well developed. The magic element in the story also didn't feel very exciting or unique. Overall, I found it to be quite a forgettable read.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "The Lunch Witch". The plot felt very cliche and the humor fell flat for me. I was hoping for a more original and engaging story, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver. I wouldn't recommend this book to others.
3. Emma - 2/5 - "The Lunch Witch" didn't capture my attention at all. The illustrations were nice, but the story lacked depth and substance. The main character, Grunhilda, seemed more annoying than endearing. I found myself struggling to finish the book and was left feeling unsatisfied with the overall experience.
4. Michael - 1/5 - I really did not enjoy reading "The Lunch Witch". The humor was forced and the story was unoriginal. The dialogue felt stilted and the characters were one-dimensional. I found it difficult to connect with any aspect of the book and was left disappointed.
5. Emily - 1/5 - I was excited to read "The Lunch Witch", but it didn't live up to the hype. The story was weak and lacked substance. The illustrations were the only redeeming factor. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and engaging read.