Malcolm Webster is all set to begin 6th-grade. He's still crazy about science and junk food, but the whole homework thing - yeah, that's still a bummer he'll do almost anything to avoid. As the 1st day of school nears, Malcolm realizes he never even started his summer reading assignment. Whoops! Now, he'll never finish it in time. And, his report card will be doomed from day 1! But, Malcolm won't give up that easily. Somehow he'll get away with not doing the reading. Even if it means teaming up with the school bully, Dennis, and borrowing some technology from his alien pal, Steve. Together, they'll visit a distant land. But, this time, their adventures won't take them into outer space. No. If they want to survive 6th-grade they'll have to travel much further. Millions of years into the past, in fact. To a time in which the Earth was icy...and the saber-tooth tigers were slicey.