Mal and Chad: Food Fight! [Paperback]

Stephen McCranie (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 19, 2012 | Age Range: 8 - 11 years | Series: Mal and Chad (Book 2)

Mal is a kid genius with a talking dog . . . so why doesn't anyone seem to notice him?

Poor Mal. It's not easy being a kid genius who wears a lab coat to school ("It's not a bathrobe!"). Megan, his not-so-secret crush, has formed a club that has a no-boys-allowed policy - especially not Mal, who would do anything to feel like he belongs. Fortunately, Mal always has Chad, his talking dog. When Chad begins having scary dreams, Mal builds a dream portal to defeat Chad's nightmare beast once and for all. Something goes wrong, though, and the beast follows Mal back to reality. Now Megan and her friends are in danger . . . but Mal is there to come to the rescue, showing that, just maybe, he's someone to pay attention to. With kid-friendly humor and a deft touch, Stephen McCranie continues his breakthrough series perfect for any kid who's one book away from either Big Nate or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When not struggling with the petulance of other kids, Mal—a cross between Charlie Brown and a mad scientist—invents a dream-entering machine so that he can help his dog, Chad, with recurring nightmares of a giant cat. When the monstrous beast escapes the dreamworld, McCranie depicts a sense of menace that will thrill and chill his readers. He also exemplifies details of the human figure to bring out the huggability of his charming characters. As with the first book, The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever! (2011), this graphic novel delivers fast-paced fun that still captures the emotional trials of childhood with empathy and respect. Grades 2-5. --Jesse Karp

About the Author

Stephen McCranie (www.malandchad.com) lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 - 11 years
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Philomel; Original edition (January 19, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399256571
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256578
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Social Skills

More About the Author

Stephen McCranie is the writer and illustrator for the Mal and Chad all-ages graphic novel series. Stephen grew up drawing comics from an early age. He eventually earned a Fine Arts degree at the University of New Mexico. Stephen originally created Mal and Chad as a comic strip for the UNM school newspaper. You can read this strip in its entirety as well as find other fun stuff, at www.malandchad.com!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My 8 year old loves Mal and Chad January 1, 2013

By Dustin Hewit

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My not-so-little-anymore girl likes Mal and Chad. Has now read I think three of the books. They are entertaining and quite funny for her. I would recommend for anyone, though some would say these types of books might be best for kids for whom reading is a challenge ... my girl is a big reader and loves these, so ... looks like they have universal appeal.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read September 22, 2012

By LH

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Overall it was a great book. Not as clever as the first, but still a fun read. I can't wait till the third one comes out in December.Mal and Chad: Food Fight!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great adventure January 19, 2012

By Andy Shuping

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

So what are "Mal and Chad" books like? Well imagine "Dexter's Laboratory," "Jimmy Neutron," and a dash of "Calvin & Hobbes" and you've got a pretty good idea. And please don't take that as me saying that Stephen has co-opted these other guys for his own, no no...Mal and Chad is unique in it's own way. This is the second printed adventure for "Mal and Chad" (they started off life as a webcomic which can still be found online) and this adventure is even bigger than the last one. Yes, even bigger than dinosaurs!

Mal is a certifiable genius. He doesn't like to brag about it, but he's invented invisible spray, a time machine, a dream machine, and most importantly gave his best friend, Chad, the ability to talk (Chad is a dog by the way.) But he tries to be a normal kid. But Mal is feeling a bit left out as Megan and her girlfriends have started a no boys allowed club and the club he started kicked him out. What's a guy to do? Fortunately Chad has a problem that needs to be solved. He's having really, really scary dreams and only Mal can help him face his fears. So using his dream portal Mal enters Chad's dreams, but something goes wrong and the dream creature follows them back to the real world and now Megan and her friends are in danger. Can Mal save everyone and stop the monster? Or will things go from bad to worse?

This is a fantastic read, regardless of age. Even though Mal is a supergenius, he's one that we can all relate to. Who can't relate to someone wanting to help their best friend out? Even though Mal is a super genius and invents things like a dream portal, all he wants to do is help his friends. It's his first thought with Chad and it's his first thought when the dream monster escapes. The sense of humor, such as everyone calling Mal's lab coat a robe, is something that everyone will get a laugh or two out of. The artwork is imaginative and the images will be enjoyed by everyone, especially the depiction of Mal's mom after she uses invsispray on her head. This is the type of book that I'd hand to any young kid struggling to fit in.

Stephen's tapped into memories and dreams of childhood and put them on the page for everyone to explore together in the form of best friends, Mal and Chad. His writing is simple and easy to read and his drawing style evocatively catches the everyday world and gives new life to it. I highly recommend this book to children young and old and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.