"Last summer, after Nate Parker's basset hound Lunchbox was mentally enhanced by Scwozzwortian aliens Frazz and Grunflozz, he made a machine that created Froonga (Scwozzwortian food) from garbage. Turns out Froonga is great dog food too, and Nate's parents are selling it as Parker's Power Pooch Pellets. When Nate's parents leave him in the clueless care of Aunt Nelly, world's worst baker, while they go to a dog-food convention, Nate and Lunchbox have another really close encounter: Evil Commander Narzargle and a fleet of Hoofonoggles want to take over the Earth. It's up to the still super-smart Lunchbox, Nate, bumbling Frazz and sarcastic Grunflozz to save the world and broker the first interstellar trade agreement. Fields's second Lunchbox adventure is as silly and fun to read as the first, and Atteberry's occasional pencil illustrations add their share of giggles. Reluctant readers with a willing suspension of disbelief and a penchant for science fiction will be happy to find this one. (Science fiction. 9-12)"

School Library Journal:

"Nothing says 'Christmas' like an alien-infested fruitcake that sucks the flavor out of everything it touches. Nate and Lunchbox, the superintelligent basset hound from Lunchbox and the Aliens (Holt, 2006), are back. Parker’s Power Pooch Pellets, the best dog food (froonga) ever made from garbage using alien technology, is a huge hit, but the family business is going to be in trouble if they can’t figure out how to make more machines. While the boy’s parents go off to a pet-food convention just before Christmas, Great-Aunt Nelly arrives to look after things and starts baking up a storm, intent on winning the local fruitcake festival. Meanwhile, Frazz and Grunfloz, the aliens who helped Nate build the original froonga machine, are also in trouble. They have been caught by old enemies who want to take over the Earth, and the froonga. Not that it matters, since they probably won’t survive Grunfloz’s grudge-match of lob-lock against Oogash, a game that includes shock-producing balls, zero gravity, and extra points for creative insults. Will Lunchbox be able to save the planet from the evil aliens and the even worse fruitcake? It takes careful readers to keep track of the weird and wacky names and insults, but the quick-moving plot, silly situations, and fun illustrations keep everything moving at a smart clip."

"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 and his dog."