Funny Kid for President (Funny Kid Series #1)

by Matt Stanton, Matt Stanton (Illustrator)

Overview

Big Nate meets Timmy Failure in Funny Kid for President, the first book in an uproarious new middle grade series by Matt Stanton, Australia’s bestselling children’s book author.

When Max gets blamed for pooping in the storeroom (which he did NOT do), tensions hit an all-time high between him and his terrifyingly large teacher, Mr. Armstrong. But then, the most unexpected thing happens—the school principal, Mrs. Sniggles, suggests Max run for class president.

Max isn’t the only kid on the ballot, however. His archenemy, Abby Purcell, is also up for election—and she’s out to defeat him at all costs. To win, Max is going to need the 24/7 help of his best friend, Hugo, and he’s going to have to run the campaign of a lifetime.

Max may not be the smartest or fastest kid, or the handsomest, but he just might be the funniest kid you’ll ever meet—and it’s this talent that could turn him from underdog to top dog. Max for President!

Matt Stanton brings his veteran children’s book chops to this hilarious new series, perfect for early middle grade readers looking for side-splitting laughs!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062572912
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/02/2018
Series:	Funny Kid Series , #1
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	237,955
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Matt Stanton is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator who has sold more than one million books worldwide. Matt lives and works in Sydney, Australia, with his wife, bestselling author Beck Stanton, and their children. You can visit him online at mattstanton.net.

Matt Stanton is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator who has sold more than one million books worldwide. Matt lives and works in Sydney, Australia, with his wife, bestselling author Beck Stanton, and their children. You can visit him online at mattstanton.net.

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2017
Kids who get a kick out of scatological humor and doomed-to-backfire scenarios will find plenty of both in this heavily illustrated series opener from Stanton (This Is a Ball). At its center is a deluded but quick-witted boy named Max and his sidekick, Hugo. The opening line, “Someone has pooped in the storeroom,” sets the stage; Mr. Armstrong, a teacher who has it in for Max, blames the mess on him (and forces him to clean it up), despite Max’s claims of innocence. When the no-nonsense new principal, Mrs. Sniggles, decides that a class president is the solution to Mr. Armstrong’s disorderly classroom, Max vows to win the election, hoping to best his teacher and become the most popular kid in his class “in one simple move.” Outlined in thick strokes of black, Stanton’s chunky cartoons are integrated throughout the story, with digital drop shadows adding to the paper-doll quality of his flattened characters. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it type of story, one that should hit the spot for fans of projectile vomit gags and the like. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Ensures a broad and gleeful audience.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

Ensures a broad and gleeful audience.

Booklist

Ensures a broad and gleeful audience.

Booklist

09/01/2017
Gr 3–5—Max Walburt decides to run for class president. Since he's not the best athlete, the smartest, the tallest, or the most handsome, his platform will be that he is the funniest. And funny he proves to be in this hilarious combination of text, drawings, and comics. Max has a lot to deal with: he's being stalked by a duck who thinks he's its mother, his teacher absolutely loathes him, and somebody pooped on the classroom floor (Max is blamed for this transgression even though he's innocent). And classmate Abby Purcell, who, like every villain, has one magical eyebrow that can be raised cynically at will, vows to beat him in the election. Poop, vomit, and snot jokes abound as each candidate is taken out of the competition by someone's evilly successful plan. But who is the culprit behind the election sabotage? Max and his friend Hugo are on the case. Max's droll observations are made even more comical by the simple but highly expressive line drawings, which enhance the humor and plot immensely. This book is guaranteed to be very popular with reluctant readers. Australian spellings will be easily understood. VERDICT Fans of "Captain Underpants" will love this new kid in town. Highly recommended for middle grade collections.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

School Library Journal

2017-09-26
Run for class president? Now that's a funny idea.Eleven-year-old Max Walburt is not the most popular kid at Redhill Middle School, but he is Mr. Armstrong's favorite person to blame when things go wrong. When a dollop of poop appears in the class storeroom and an incensed Mr. Armstrong blames Max without evidence, Max plots revenge with his fat, dim buddy, Hugo. The plot's exposed by too-short (and very evil) Abby Purcell, and the ensuing chaos causes principal Mrs. Sniggles to order a class election. Max throws his hat in the ring, but something's up. Handsome (and lactose-intolerant) opponent Kevin experiences a vomit event in the library, and he's out. Tall Ryan has a disastrous gym class, and he's out. Can Max, using his sense of humor, join with unlikely allies and discover what's going on (while escaping a psycho-stalker duck)? Stanton kicks off a series of illustrated misadventures with a more-than-slightly scatological mystery. The kids are not a lot more than their central quirks, but the straightforward if mean-spirited story does have moments of good comic timing. The poop-centered mystery won't be to everyone's taste, but Wimpy Kid fans may seek the sequel. Max, Hugo, and the teachers are white; Kevin and Abby have brown skin, and Ryan may be Asian.Funny kid's far from LOL-funny…but he'll elicit some giggles. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews