Mal and Chad: Food Fight! - Funny Kids Graphic Novel for Ages 8-12 | Perfect for Summer Reading & Classroom Libraries

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.