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Lunch Witch #1
The Lunch Witch
For generations and generations, the women of Grunhilda’s family have stirred up trouble in a big, black pot. Grunhilda inherits her famous ancestors’ recipes and cauldron, but no one believes in magic anymore. Despite the fact that Grunhilda’s only useful skill is cooking up potfuls of foul brew, she finds a job listing that might suit her: lunch lady. She delights in scaring the kids until she meets a timid little girl named Madison with a big set of glasses who becomes an unlikely friend. Madison needs help at school and at home, but helping people goes against everything Grunhilda believes in as a witch! Will this girl be able to thaw the Lunch Witch's icy heart? Or will Grunhilda turn her back on a kindred spirit?
180 pages, Library Binding
First published March 17, 2015
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1267 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
October 23, 2016
Grunhilda, a down-on-her-luck witch, is perusing the want ads when this one catches her eye:
LUNCH LADY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIA
GOOD COOKS NEED NOT APPLY
Due to her lack of criminal record, and her desire to make children gag, she's hired.
Hijinks ensue when she meets Madison, a young girl who's convinced of her own stupidity.
Gasp!
Can Grunhilda's "tender feelings" toward Madison be the new norm, or will she follow her ancestors' advice and dump the girl in the pond?
Read this delightfully messy and food-stained graphic novel to find out.
(Spatula, hairnet, and rubber gloves not required.)
LUNCH LADY
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIA
GOOD COOKS NEED NOT APPLY
Due to her lack of criminal record, and her desire to make children gag, she's hired.
Hijinks ensue when she meets Madison, a young girl who's convinced of her own stupidity.
Gasp!
Can Grunhilda's "tender feelings" toward Madison be the new norm, or will she follow her ancestors' advice and dump the girl in the pond?
Read this delightfully messy and food-stained graphic novel to find out.
(Spatula, hairnet, and rubber gloves not required.)
July 2, 2019
Grunhilda is a real live witch and she finds the perfect job for herself being a lunch lady and serving some gross food to kids.
This is a great story for middle grade kids looking for a darker humor and subject. It does play on the stereotype of witch.
I won't go on with the series, but I did think this was a fun little story and not the normal sunny middle grade fair that is typical out there.
This is a great story for middle grade kids looking for a darker humor and subject. It does play on the stereotype of witch.
I won't go on with the series, but I did think this was a fun little story and not the normal sunny middle grade fair that is typical out there.
October 23, 2016
My students love graphic novels, so I am trying to get myself more into them. I picked out this one because I thought it would be a fun to read around Halloween. And it totally was! I plan to read the second book when my library gets it.
It was a quick read with "middle school" gross graphics. They did a great job on this book!
It was a quick read with "middle school" gross graphics. They did a great job on this book!
January 20, 2022
8 out of 10
The Lunch Witch is a book about a witch named Grunhilda who wants to appease her ancestors who live under her house, so she gets a job at a school as a lunch lady, and tries to cause havoc and evil. She eventually meets a girl named Madison, who somehow convinces Grunhilda to help her try to get smart, but this is against Grunhilda's nature.
I recently re-read this book and I loved it! I love the dark self-aware humor of this book, and I love how outrageously gritty the character designs were. Lucke was able to get really creative with the composition of this book, she had gritty textures all over the book that looked like someone slopped a drink over the page, and even one page had a cut-out bite mark. The expressions Lucke was able to achieve with the loose character designs are the utmost of hilarity.
The Lunch Lady is such a great character, and the world Lucke was able to create was really interesting. The intrigue of this dark magical world had me hooked. The only criticisms I have are some minor pacing issues near the end of the book, where I was a bit confused by what was going on, but they weren't detrimental or anything. Also, since the text was handwritten, it was occasionally hard to read, (but it definitely added to the aesthetic of the book).
Overall, really nice book. If you're in the mood for something over-the-top, I'd totally recommend this one. I loved the humor of this book, but I get that the humor may not be for everyone, and I might shy away from this one if you like your graphic novels with great delicate artwork. But this graphic novel is definitely quality and presents an interesting gritty experience. I thought it was great!
The Lunch Witch is a book about a witch named Grunhilda who wants to appease her ancestors who live under her house, so she gets a job at a school as a lunch lady, and tries to cause havoc and evil. She eventually meets a girl named Madison, who somehow convinces Grunhilda to help her try to get smart, but this is against Grunhilda's nature.
I recently re-read this book and I loved it! I love the dark self-aware humor of this book, and I love how outrageously gritty the character designs were. Lucke was able to get really creative with the composition of this book, she had gritty textures all over the book that looked like someone slopped a drink over the page, and even one page had a cut-out bite mark. The expressions Lucke was able to achieve with the loose character designs are the utmost of hilarity.
The Lunch Lady is such a great character, and the world Lucke was able to create was really interesting. The intrigue of this dark magical world had me hooked. The only criticisms I have are some minor pacing issues near the end of the book, where I was a bit confused by what was going on, but they weren't detrimental or anything. Also, since the text was handwritten, it was occasionally hard to read, (but it definitely added to the aesthetic of the book).
Overall, really nice book. If you're in the mood for something over-the-top, I'd totally recommend this one. I loved the humor of this book, but I get that the humor may not be for everyone, and I might shy away from this one if you like your graphic novels with great delicate artwork. But this graphic novel is definitely quality and presents an interesting gritty experience. I thought it was great!
February 12, 2016
I really liked this one. So far out of all the graphic novels I read today. This one is my favorite.
Grunhilda is a (real) witch living in Salem, Massachusetts. She used to be a (fake) witch at the Salem Haunted Museum, but people complained she wasn't scary enough. Without a job to pay for food for her many bats, dog and spider...Grunhilda is desperate. She looks in the want ads and sees a job for Lunch Lady at the Salem Elementary school. She meets Madison C. a new student, who is failing and is always tardy. A diabolical plan to help this girl is in effect. What will happen to Madison and the Witch?
I loved the old brown paper illustrations. I loved the food stains on the pages. I loved how Grunhilda wasn't the best "witch student" and knew what Madison was going through. I thought this story was cute and am looking forward "The Lunch Witch #2: Knee-deep in Niceness" it comes out 9-20-16 I can't wait!
Grunhilda is a (real) witch living in Salem, Massachusetts. She used to be a (fake) witch at the Salem Haunted Museum, but people complained she wasn't scary enough. Without a job to pay for food for her many bats, dog and spider...Grunhilda is desperate. She looks in the want ads and sees a job for Lunch Lady at the Salem Elementary school. She meets Madison C. a new student, who is failing and is always tardy. A diabolical plan to help this girl is in effect. What will happen to Madison and the Witch?
I loved the old brown paper illustrations. I loved the food stains on the pages. I loved how Grunhilda wasn't the best "witch student" and knew what Madison was going through. I thought this story was cute and am looking forward "The Lunch Witch #2: Knee-deep in Niceness" it comes out 9-20-16 I can't wait!
December 26, 2016
Strange, funny, grotesque, beautiful. A witch is very good at making gross things and has no criminal record, and so is hired to work in a school cafeteria. There she meets Madison, a student who has her own set of challenges, and who, realizing Grunhilda is a witch, tries to, ah, convince Grunhilda to help her.
The storyline feels a bit thin, so I am between a 3 and a 4, but I will go to 4 because it's just so wonderfully off and gorgeously unappealing.
I think my most and least favorite scene comes when the witch needs a nose-hair from the school principal for one of her potions and goes to his office to do the extraction. Some very uncomfortable close-ups here.
May get the second book out of the library. Not sure.
The storyline feels a bit thin, so I am between a 3 and a 4, but I will go to 4 because it's just so wonderfully off and gorgeously unappealing.
I think my most and least favorite scene comes when the witch needs a nose-hair from the school principal for one of her potions and goes to his office to do the extraction. Some very uncomfortable close-ups here.
May get the second book out of the library. Not sure.
May 5, 2015
This is a darkly humorous story of a lunch witch who mistakenly (not her fault!) turns a little girl into a frog. Beautifully drawn story that we are told is the first in a series. Feels to me like it has the legs for a series; plenty of funny characters, school-based, lunch-lady and terrible-school-lunch-based. I smiled a lot as I read it on the train and will see if smaller people in my house concur.
February 4, 2016
What caught my attention about this was the art. It reminded me so much of Steadman, the great Fear And Loathing artist. So, I had to read it.
A Witch needed a job after her potion business went under. So, she did the next best thing and became a lunch lady.
Filled with all sorts of black humor and true tales of a mean old hag who turns into a lunch lady.... who did you know makes meatloaf out of sawdust.... and she spits in the food...... while also curdling the milk. What a Witch!!!
Not as great as I wanted it to be, but good for one go through.
A Witch needed a job after her potion business went under. So, she did the next best thing and became a lunch lady.
Filled with all sorts of black humor and true tales of a mean old hag who turns into a lunch lady.... who did you know makes meatloaf out of sawdust.... and she spits in the food...... while also curdling the milk. What a Witch!!!
Not as great as I wanted it to be, but good for one go through.
March 11, 2017
This was a quick read, but I didn't like the grimy feel of it. I guess all the grossness in this book might appeal to kids. The pages are dark beige, with ambient marks that look like dirty smudges and food stains on the pages. And of course, there's the expected disgusting school lunches, frogs, nose hairs, and other ickiness. It all certainly helps to set a specific tone!
But I enjoyed the fact that this book is set in Salem, Mass. And my favorite character was Grunhilda's smart but skittish dog, who is wily enough to use his mouth to write with a pencil and imitate Grunhilda's handwriting. That's my kind of dog.
But I enjoyed the fact that this book is set in Salem, Mass. And my favorite character was Grunhilda's smart but skittish dog, who is wily enough to use his mouth to write with a pencil and imitate Grunhilda's handwriting. That's my kind of dog.
July 29, 2017
Rating: 4 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)
I have always been fascinated with witches so I often will read anything to do witches, lol. I picked this up at work as it looked funny and it was! It is a cute graphic novel about a witch, Grunhilda, who finds a job as a lunch lady and an opportunity to do bad things. And, when she meets Madison, a young odd girl, she finds that she wants to help the young girl. Helping Madison goes against Grunhilda's mission.
(Review Not on Blog)
I have always been fascinated with witches so I often will read anything to do witches, lol. I picked this up at work as it looked funny and it was! It is a cute graphic novel about a witch, Grunhilda, who finds a job as a lunch lady and an opportunity to do bad things. And, when she meets Madison, a young odd girl, she finds that she wants to help the young girl. Helping Madison goes against Grunhilda's mission.
Read
March 18, 2016No one appreciates a good witch anymore. When Grunhilde has to close up shop, the only job she can find is as a lunch lady in a nearby school where a hapless, constantly tardy, misunderstood student figures out she's a witch and demands a potion that will fix her. Quirky, snarky, dark and delicious. This is a unique addition to the graphic novel collection. Looking forward to more in this new series.
September 4, 2015
Spooky yet still age appropriate. Most importantly? This is hilarious and engaging. I laughed out loud in the bookstore several times as I read. I am in love with the Silverstein-esque illustrations and abrupt dialogue. Everything is to the point and doesn't pander. Perfect graphic novel for all ages.
June 14, 2016
Quirky GN about a witch that gets a job as a cafeteria worker.
The style is key here - and not super accessible, as cool as the stained-looking pages might be. More niche than I expected. But those page treatments are awesome!
The style is key here - and not super accessible, as cool as the stained-looking pages might be. More niche than I expected. But those page treatments are awesome!
May 4, 2023
I am doing a deep dive into middle grades graphic novels in hopes of expanding our school collection. The Lunch Witch was very cute, and a good story about an evil witch who starts to have not-s0-evil feelings about a student when she takes a job as an elementary school lunch lady.
If we had this in our collection already I would keep it, and I think it would circulate, but I wasn't impressed enough to buy it new.
If we had this in our collection already I would keep it, and I think it would circulate, but I wasn't impressed enough to buy it new.
April 8, 2015
What is a witch to do when no one believes in magic anymore? She has her family’s potion recipes and cauldron, but that’s about it. Then she realizes that there is one perfect job for someone who creates horrible brews – being a lunch lady! So Grunhilda becomes a lunch lady, one who scares all of the children. But Madison isn’t scared of Grunhilda despite the fact that she is the one person who knows that she is not what she seems. Madison has enough knowledge to blackmail the witch, but that’s a dangerous course even when the witch wants to help you. Grunhilda finds a kinship with Madison, but her horrible ancestors are maddened to find their magic being used for good, so they step in and cause all sorts of trouble for both Madison and Grunhilda.
Lucke’s story is a delightful mix of horrible potions, bats that don’t listen, nasty dead ancestors with too many opinions, and amazingly also two people who may just become friends through it all. Lucke creates a story around Grunhilde that offers her back story and makes her transformation to an almost-good witch believable and organic. Madison too has her own story, one that also makes the story work well and makes her own role and connection ring true.
The art of this graphic novel is gorgeously strange and wild. Each chapter leads in with a differently stained page, from oily splotches to actual tomatoes. The pages too are dark and stained, as if Grunhilda herself had been using the book in her kitchen. Against that the white of aprons and speech bubbles pops. Other subtler colors are also used and create a subtle effect against the dark page.
A funny and heartfelt story of unusual friendships created during the most unusual of times. Appropriate for ages 7-9.
Lucke’s story is a delightful mix of horrible potions, bats that don’t listen, nasty dead ancestors with too many opinions, and amazingly also two people who may just become friends through it all. Lucke creates a story around Grunhilde that offers her back story and makes her transformation to an almost-good witch believable and organic. Madison too has her own story, one that also makes the story work well and makes her own role and connection ring true.
The art of this graphic novel is gorgeously strange and wild. Each chapter leads in with a differently stained page, from oily splotches to actual tomatoes. The pages too are dark and stained, as if Grunhilda herself had been using the book in her kitchen. Against that the white of aprons and speech bubbles pops. Other subtler colors are also used and create a subtle effect against the dark page.
A funny and heartfelt story of unusual friendships created during the most unusual of times. Appropriate for ages 7-9.
October 2, 2018
When Grunhilda the witch has to close her potion shop, she is forced to take a job as a school lunch lady. She takes great pleasure in scaring the kids and serving them spoonfuls of sludge, but then she starts to notice one girl, Madison, who stands out from the rest. She too is always alone and struggling to fit in. But witches are supposed to be mean! What is Grunhilda to do?
March 29, 2015
It's a little bit weird and a little bit icky, but I actually really liked it.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher.
Note: I received a digital galley of this book from the publisher.
January 25, 2017
Graphic Novel for the Wimpy Kid crowd. Gotta say I laughed out loud a few times, so it can appeal to adults as well as the younger set.
June 11, 2019
This is a great book. I love that the book looks like it has been hanging out in a gross kitchen for a while. I feel like I'd end up like Grunhilda if I were an evil witch.
April 28, 2018
This was a hoot! A witch becomes a lunch lady at the local school in order to make ends meet (no one Really believes in magic...) she had been a "fake " witch at the Salem Museum, but had lost her job. Now a witch at a school is truly an interesting thought, so, of course, it's a terrific read! Kids 5th grade up are going to enjoy reading this story. So will any one else who picks it up, after all we ALL went to schools and ate in cafeterias! Now we understand the food a bit better! Fun read with great illustrations!
April 29, 2015
I loved the setup for The Lunch Witch. A real witch named Grunhilda works at the Salem Haunted Museum as a fake witch, and is fired for not being scary enough. Needing to feed all of her bats and dog, she must find a new job. It looks grim out there, until she finds the perfect job for her to work on her potions and recipes … an elementary school lunch lady.
Things get a little dicey when Grunhilda bumps into Madison. She starts to believe that Madison is on to her witchy ways, and while it’s all in Grunhilda’s head initially, Madison eventually figures it out and blackmails her. So, does Grunhilda break the #1 witch rule of ‘never be nice!’ or help a little girl in need?
The artwork is fresh, and there’s some really cute, deadpan moments peppered throughout it. The second half of the story felt a little more rushed to me, and the graphic novel is already a very quick read. It’s also apparently the first in a series; I’m not sure if I see it as a series, but instead wish that it would’ve been a longer, more fleshed out stand-alone work.
Things get a little dicey when Grunhilda bumps into Madison. She starts to believe that Madison is on to her witchy ways, and while it’s all in Grunhilda’s head initially, Madison eventually figures it out and blackmails her. So, does Grunhilda break the #1 witch rule of ‘never be nice!’ or help a little girl in need?
The artwork is fresh, and there’s some really cute, deadpan moments peppered throughout it. The second half of the story felt a little more rushed to me, and the graphic novel is already a very quick read. It’s also apparently the first in a series; I’m not sure if I see it as a series, but instead wish that it would’ve been a longer, more fleshed out stand-alone work.
December 6, 2016
Because no one believes in magic anymore, a witch is forced to take a job as a lunch lady in order to feed herself and her various pets. Funny and irreverent and sometimes gross, but no toilet humor (which is refreshing). My favorite of the quirky characters is the dog. The bats are fun, too. The choice of paper color makes it difficult to see the details of the art, though the distressed paper treatments help to set the darkly humorous mood. Look forward to the second installment in this new graphic novel series.
February 14, 2016
Loved it so much. All the gross-out humor, the spells, the dead witches, the totally ordinary girl, the tomato stains on the pages. It reminded me of my favorite book from childhood, Malcolm Bird's The Witch's Handbook, and I'm so excited that this is just the first of a series.
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Read Harder: Non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years.
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Read Harder: Non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years.
September 13, 2018
Liked it! Quirky fun. Sketchy art perfectly fits a sketchy witch. Story is interesting and different.
April 24, 2024
When evil witch Grunhilda can't find legitimate witch work in a world that no longer believes in magic, she gets a job as a fake witch at a witch museum. But what's she to do when she gets fired from her fake witch gig for "not being scary enough"? Turn her boss into a turd, of course!
Unfortunately, there isn't much work out there for witches. Good thing the local elementary school is hiring a new lunch lady. It's a thankless job, but at least Grunhilda's talent for brewing foul potions will come in handy. Especially on Meatloaf Monday. Despite having to work alongside all those gross children, Grunhilda finds she quite enjoys being a lunch lady. All she has to do is fly (HA!) under the radar and her true identity will remain a secret.
Chaos ensues when young Madison gets a bit too curious about her lunchroom's latest edition. What follows are, toads, turds, mosquitos, bats, nose hairs, foul brews, bribery, vengeance, and creative uses for ketchup packets. No more spoilers, though.
I gotta say... I freaking loved this! The darkly funny and gross humor had me cackling, but there was just enough of a heartwarming vibe to keep balanced. But not TOO heartwarming, of course. Otherwise I'd need a full-on leech bath to wash the stink of "Awwwww" away. But as it stands, just jumping around, brushing at myself and screaming, "Get it off! Get it off!" was sufficient.
Disclaimer: The spells and potions contained within the pages of this book are to be brewed by Professional Witches ONLY. Armatures and Muggles must NOT attempt them under any circumstances (especially the meatloaf) as consequences of doing so could prove disastrous beyond what we are willing to describe here. In other words, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
Unfortunately, there isn't much work out there for witches. Good thing the local elementary school is hiring a new lunch lady. It's a thankless job, but at least Grunhilda's talent for brewing foul potions will come in handy. Especially on Meatloaf Monday. Despite having to work alongside all those gross children, Grunhilda finds she quite enjoys being a lunch lady. All she has to do is fly (HA!) under the radar and her true identity will remain a secret.
Chaos ensues when young Madison gets a bit too curious about her lunchroom's latest edition. What follows are, toads, turds, mosquitos, bats, nose hairs, foul brews, bribery, vengeance, and creative uses for ketchup packets. No more spoilers, though.
I gotta say... I freaking loved this! The darkly funny and gross humor had me cackling, but there was just enough of a heartwarming vibe to keep balanced. But not TOO heartwarming, of course. Otherwise I'd need a full-on leech bath to wash the stink of "Awwwww" away. But as it stands, just jumping around, brushing at myself and screaming, "Get it off! Get it off!" was sufficient.
Disclaimer: The spells and potions contained within the pages of this book are to be brewed by Professional Witches ONLY. Armatures and Muggles must NOT attempt them under any circumstances (especially the meatloaf) as consequences of doing so could prove disastrous beyond what we are willing to describe here. In other words, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!
March 11, 2020
fun graphic novel, interesting dirty/witchy colors and illustrations. bit of a flat story but not bad for a 15-minute read.
December 31, 2021
This was fine, I can see how kids would like the gross-out humor. I liked the artwork.
May 4, 2015
This book lacks some of the unnerving atmospheric creeptacularness of a Through the Woods but I'll give this book major props for being a quickie read about a witch who's going "soft." My kids will like flipping through this one on those days when they complain there's nothing "good" to read.
May 29, 2015
When people stop believing in magic, where does an out-of-work witch go to find employment? A school cafeteria, of course! Serving nasty slop and curdling the milk is a dream job for Grunhilda, until a pint-size girl figures out her secret and blackmails her in exchange for some help. It's against a witch's code to help, but Grunhilda is up against a wall. Of course, things don't exactly work out quite the way they are planned. Plenty of humor and heart.
September 1, 2015
Quirky and different. I like the food-stained pages with the graphics overlaid as if the book had been left in a greasy cafeteria. Old Grunhilda the Blackheart really has a heart of gold-ish. She really wants to be mean, but Madison seems to get through to her. Neither are the smartest in their classes and one fail leads to another until both of them are in a swamp (one's a frog) trying to fix the mess they have created. It's funny and kid-appropriate without the cute factor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews