SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Manga
  • All Ages
  • Young Adult
  • Interviews
  • News

June 30, 2011 by Snow Wildsmith

Review: Mal and Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!

June 30, 2011 by Snow Wildsmith   1 comments

Mal’s a genius, but no one knows that except his faithful dog pal Chad, just like no one knows that Chad can really talk. These two secrets lead to a lot of frustration for Mal, since he’s forced to deal with boring school assignments and meaningless chores and since he can’t seem to catch the eye of Megan, the cutest girl in school. But at least there’s plenty of adventures–launching a backpack jet pack, building a rocket ship, traveling back to the days of the dinosaurs, and, of course, show-and-tell.

Mal and Chad: The Biggest, Bestest Time Ever!
Stephen McCranie
Ages: 8-11, Grades: 3-6
Philomel, May 2011, ISBN 978-0-399-25221-1
224 pages, $9.99

McCranie’s fun-loving graphic novel can’t help but be compared with Bill Watterson’s classic Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, but luckily Mal and Chad are just as appealing as the trouble-making Calvin and his (sometimes) stuffed tiger Hobbes. Mal is arguably better behaved than Calvin, but that doesn’t mean he avoids trouble. Rather it’s more that trouble finds him, usually because he’s allowing his boundless imagination to run free. That imagination, combined with the intelligence to make his dreams into reality, is what kids will love about Mal’s story. What kid hasn’t wanted to build a rocket ship or a time-travel machine? And getting to meet real dinosaurs is just the icing on the cake, even when Mal has to save the adorable Megan and the self-important Zachary when they fall through a rip in time.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The artwork is strong and confident. McCranie uses thick, bold lines to illustrate his characters, with thinner lines bringing the backgrounds to life. He knows how to use the graphic novel medium to its fullest, allowing wordless scenes to tell readers about the joys of exploration and then dialing back to minimal scenery during the character interaction moments. At over 200 pages, McCranie gives his readers a lot to enjoy, luckily broken down into easily managed chapters. This is a fun, recommended addition to juvenile graphic novel collections.

This review is based on a complimentary copy supplied by the publisher. All images copyright © Philomel.

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Snow Wildsmith

Snow Wildsmith is a writer and former teen librarian. She has served on several committees for the American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association, including the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award Committee. She reviews graphic novels for Booklist, ICv2's Guide, No Flying No Tights, and Good Comics for Kids and also writes booktalks and creates recommended reading lists for Ebsco's NoveList database. Currently she is working on her first books, a nonfiction series for teens.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

February 2023

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

January 2023

Young Agatha Christie | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

January 2023

Andy Warner's Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

January 2023

My Sister, the Cat, vol. 1 | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

January 2023

History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin | Review

by Snow Wildsmith

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

PEN America and Trust Project Release Newsroom Transparency Tracker | News Bites

15 Returning Faces for Graphic Novels Shelves | Series Update

Svetlana Chmakova Returns to a Magical World in ‘The Weirn Books’

Many Shapes and Moods of Yokai Inhabit Manga

Be Afraid (but not too afraid): Graphic novel horror for middle grade readers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. billy bob joe says

    March 1, 2013 at 10:21 am

    this book is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023