Lunchbox and the Aliens

by Bryan W. Fields, Kevan Atteberry (Illustrator)

Lunchbox felt odd. He wondered how he had known how to open the place where all the yummy stuff was kept. He wondered why he seemed to know so much about these strange animals he was with. He wondered how he knew he was wondering.

Lunchbox is your average basset round, floppy, and not too bright . . . until he's abducted by aliens. Then he suddenly becomes a lean, mean, garbage-machine-making, uh, machine. Frazz and Grunfloz, the hapless aliens who abducted Lunchbox, have set him the task of converting Earth's trash into froonga, a food adored by aliens and dogs alike. Will Lunchbox and his boy, Nate, solve the world's garbage crisis and form the first interplanetary alliance? Or will the fate of the whole solar system come to rest on whether Lunchbox can ever learn to catch a Frisbee?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Humor, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2006

About the author

Bryan W. Fields was born in Missouri and has lived in Japan, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Florida, Mississippi, and currently resides with his wife and three of their five children in Little Elm, Texas. Visit his website at http://www.bryanwfields.com

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always wonder if I should add books that I've read outloud with the kids... Seems silly, like it's not really MY list, but I did read every word of this out loud to Brennan however many nights in a row, and it's not like I've read anything of my own choosing since August.

I know it's a kid's book, so I don't want to shred it. I'm glad Brenna liked it -- he actually already read this with Kristie and liked it so much he wanted me to read it to him again, so there's that. But it's a silly book where aliens capture a dog and a "smart hat" makes Lunchbox a genius, so he goes back down to Earth and uses the computer and steals the dad's equipment to make a garbage-food machine. Tons of made-up "alien" words make this a real joy to read out loud. But whatever, anything to hear Brennan laugh.

[Chris Sellgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lunchbox and the Aliens is one of my favorite books I've ever read. It may seem childish or goofy, but it always brings back memories of when I was young and I read this book with my mom. It's a cute story about a dog who gets abducted by aliens and is forced to try and save the world. The writing is simple, but it's still fun to read on a day where you may need some cheering up, and it holds some underlying themes about some global problems we need to address. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something short and silly, but still happy and exciting.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping this would be a funny sci-fi for boys--a dog that is captured by aliens to help them build a food-making machine out of garbage.

Meanwhile there is a subplot about corrupt government officials and garbage contracts. The aliens use too many alien-words that bog down the flow of the writing.

I just couldn't finish it. Too many better things sitting on my shelf.

[Trent Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lunchbox and the Aliens by Bryan W. Fields is a science-fiction book about the adventures of a basset hound named Lunchbox. Nate Parker is the boy who owns Lunchbox and thinks his dog is like a super hero, but he's just a normal dog at the beginning of the book. Lunchbox is sucked up by an alien spaceship, where he meets 2 silly aliens, Grunfloz and Frazz. The aliens have different opinions and argue a lot about how to do things. While he is on the spaceship, he eats their food (froonga) and it gives him energy and strength. They want the dog for experiments but end up using a machine to make him smart and load his brain with information about building a machine to make more froonga. The aliens are running out of food, so they send him back to Earth to use garbage to make more froonga. Lunchbox tries to use the computer and show Nate his plan, then steals Nate's dad's inventions to build a machine to make froonga in an old factory. Lunchbox shows Nate a slideshow and makes him think if they don't do it, the aliens will destroy the planet. Nate helps Lunchbox sneak around and collect garbage, but they get in trouble with Nate's parents, the mayor, the garbage truck company, and other people along the way. The aliens watch from their cameras and when they finally make froonga, the aliens beam some up, and it's the best they ever had. Lunchbox chases garbage trucks, makes a mess, and attacks the mayor who is trying buy the old building their froonga machine is in. Lunchbox gets taken to the pound and isn't able to make froonga or keep people from messing with the machine. One of the aliens comes down to Earth during that time to protect the machine and doesn't do well. Nate helps Lunchbox escape, so the alien goes back up when Lunchbox comes back. The mayor and garbage company owner find the machine and try to steal their idea to make money. Luckily, Nate took froonga to a business man earlier and told him his dad invented a machine to make dogfood that dogs love and will make them stronger. The man tries it with his dogs and loves it, so he stops the mayor and garbage truck owner and buys the building. He gives Nate's dad a business deal so he can use his machines and build more. Nate and Lunchbox can help his dad with the business too. The aliens were able to fill up their supply of froonga so didn't need to stay around Earth and could go back home. The book showed the theme of science-fiction and fantasy because of the aliens in the book and the reader could see what the dog was thinking like he was talking. I give the book 4 stars because it is entertaining and has some funny parts. I didn't give it 5 stars because the alien words didn't make sense and the story jumping from Earth back to the aliens made it harder to read. I would recommend this book to kids that like dogs, aliens, and fantasy. It gets more interesting and exciting at at the end, so read the whole thing.

[Kenleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of the book is lunchbox and the aliens the author is Bryan W Fields. I gave this a four star rating because I like how science fiction books are made up it is cool to see what the author makes up. Lunchbox was a basset hound, Lunchbox was his name. He never was the smartest type of dog. But one day aliens captured him. They sent him on a journey to turn all trash in the world into a food the aliens Frazz and Grufloz love called frooga. The owner or boy in the story is named Nate. He is also trying to help solve the trash problem. This all about if Nate and Lunchbox can solve the problem. This book fits the theme fiction because its all made up like the aliens and stuff like that I recommend this for anyone who likes books that aren't real story's about life or dog they also might have a little fun whit this book.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got this book for free from a treasure box at the library when i was 6 :) the word “froonga” was bouncing around my head the other day until i finally remembered where i had heard it. maybe that means it’s time for a reread

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought this would be a fun book to read with my 4th grader, but we both found this book rather boring. It did get slightly better at the end. The backstory about the aliens felt choppy, the subplot involving the unscrupulous mayor was unnecessary. Wish there had been more scenes with Lunchbox and his boy and less of the other bits.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is cute sci-fi for younger kids. Grade 3-6–Lunchbox is a lovable basset hound, Nate is his boy, and Frazz and Grunfloz are two not-so-bright aliens on a mission to find their food, called froonga. On their travels, they discover that Earth is full of the raw material to make the snack: garbage. The aliens abduct the pup and subject him to their mental-enhancement helmet, enabling him to find garbage and convert it to froonga once he is back home. In their race to create a froonga machine and not blow up the world in the process, Nate and Lunchbox have several run-ins with parents, bullies, the crooked mayor, and the dogcatchers. The author weaves a delightful story full of alien names and places, intermixed with some shady characters and a resourceful boy. The tale is so much fun that readers might not notice that its underlying theme is about the mounting garbage problem in the U.S. The pencil-drawn cartoons throughout enhance the fun. The fast-moving plot and satisfying conclusion make this a good choice for reluctant readers, science-fiction fans, or any child who enjoys a good book about a boy

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lunch Box is a not to bright Basset Hound who is taken along with Nate his owner by aliens. The aliens discover that earth is filled with garbage that can be turned into food known as Froonga. Lunch box’s mental abilities are enhanced using the alien’s mental enhancement machine. Lunch box is able to find garbage and turn it into froogna.

Although this is a book geared for 3rd and 4th grade readers it provides a humorous introduction to sci-fi literature. The underlying theme of this book is the masses of garbage on the earth. The primary theme is a real problem, but the approach to resolve the conflict is done using fantasy and futuristic machines. Lunch box is a character all children can relate to. A sweet loving adventurous basset hound who saves the day!! This book works well in school. Discussions based on how much garbage and how much we waste as a society is good debate material. Also, ask the class how we can make the planet cleaner and base writing and other projects on that theme.

[Miss Carman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aliens come to Earth and for fun they bring a dog named Lunchbox to their spaceship and accidentally use a machine to make him smart. Their food, froonga, makes him strong. They send him back to Earth where he tries to build a machine to turn garbage into froonga.

I didn't really like this book as much as I thought I would, but that's just my own opinion. I thought that adding in too many alien words was a bit of a drag on the writing and I couldn't really get very interested in the story. Not a bad book, but also not a great book.

Maybe if you really like aliens and funny/silly books you might like more than I did.

For grades 3 or 4

[Sara Truog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sci-fi about a dog that is kidnapped by aliens, then force-fed information so that he becomes smarter. When he returns to Earth, he enlists his owner's assistance to build a machine to convert garbage into froonga (a food that aliens and dogs both find very delicious), saving the aliens and his owner's family in the process. Subtle commentary about our wasteful nature as a species... think Wall-E with a dog instead of a robot. Didn't adore this one, but it wasn't bad. I'm going to use it for my March book club book at the library.

[Savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was part of Battle of the Books: 2010-2011. I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as some other books in Battle of the Books, because it was a Sci-Fi. I'm not the kind of person who likes reading those books. However, I did read it to the end and didn't quit because I am not a quitter! I only did two stars because it says under it when you scroll over, "it was ok". That's exactly how I feel about this book!

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was debating on this book and thought of it as, before even reading it, an iffy. So I gave it a shot, and it's really pointless and cheesy, so much that I couldn't even endure the first chapter! I actually got this book when I was younger and tried it a few weeks ago. My opinions on these sort of books have definitely changed!!!!

[Marley Groat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lunchbox is an basset hound until he is abducted by aliens. He was sent back to convert Earth's garbage. He was sent back to make all the garbage into a food that just aliens and dog's liked. Lunchbox is also not very bright. Once he is abducted by aliens he becomes very mean. He hopes that him and Nate solve the world's crisis and form the first interplanetary alliance.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, but I don't think it will hold the interest of the child I intended it for until he is a bit older. It is a bit more sophisticated than the back cover and the SLJ review led me to believe. Still, the premise is funny enough, and may appeal to boys who like dogs and aliens.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Lunchbox, he's just taking a nap before dinnertime when aliens decide to beam him up to their ship. How in the world will things get back to normal? Can they ever be normal again?

I think this would make an amusing read-aloud, a couple of chapters at a time.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book as a read-a-thon most minuets reader from my school!

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and funny story about aliens and dogs working together

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with my 9-year-old. Pretty darn cute..

[Shane]

I want to read it

[Gaelynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super good and coolbut it is CID of sad.

[Christian Chamorro · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, it wasn't the best

[Joanna Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book to my boys at bedtime. It was a struggle to finish because none of us were very interested in it. We were grateful to finish it last night.

[Evangeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

ITS GOOD BRO

[Linda D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny. I plan to read this to my daycare children.

[Caterpickles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tucked in amongst all the Warriors books from The Nine-Year-Old’s babysitter was this surprising little gem by Bryan W. Fields. Lunchbox is your average basset hound and knows it — or maybe not. Lunchbox doesn’t really think about much at all, until he is abducted by aliens and starts wondering about all sorts of things that basset hounds don’t normally think about. Like how he suddenly knows exactly how to break into the place where the food is kept, and why he knows so much about these weird creatures he’s started hanging around with. Lunchbox even wonders why it is that he knows that he’s wondering about anything at all.

Why The Nine-Year-Old thinks you’ll like it:
“It’s crazy. I’ve been laughing like two times a page in my head. That would probably wake the neighbors up if I laughed out loud. That’s one nutty basset hound.”