Video games grab the attention of kids and the title grabs the attention of the adults. Graphic novels about video games are a must have classroom resource. The story was well written and the illustrations really brought the story to life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for a review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

As a gamer, I feel like it’s my duty to pick up and read all the delightfully geeky books I can find. You know, for research. For the kids. Obviously.

My Video Game Ate My Homework is a delightful graphic novel that captures both the adventure and spirit of a video game, but also the teamwork and camaraderie required.

Kids seem to love graphic novels these days, and who can blame them? Our patrons, especially, love any sort of game-based books, and I can see this one being a bit hit among middle-graders.

My Thoughts:

- The artwork takes this video game adventure above and beyond. There are such cute little gamer graphics that really brought the video game feel to life, and I such appreciated that. They’ve all got new “character names” when they load. Their abilities are cute, and they discover new items along the way. The artwork was simple, yet pretty, and captured gaming in a way that felt much more immersive. I bought that we were journeying through a video game with the characters and was delighted to see little references that gamers will appreciate if they look carefully at the pictures.

- The humor in this makes it a really quick, fun, entertaining read. I definitely laughed out loud a few times. The characters are … well, characters. It was sort of hard to take some of them seriously, which could be a bad thing, but I felt like the book was serious when it had to be, but for the most part, it keeps a pretty light atmosphere that made it a joy to read.

- While this book does tackle a few important concepts, like friendship and asking for help, don’t expect anything too deep going in. The book does what it does quite effectively, which is gaming. There are some slightly heavier scenes that focus on teamwork and learning to ask for help, and I think those were done well, but the book is so short and focuses so much on the game that I don’t think they leave a lasting impression. This is another book meant for a younger MG audience, though, so I think it probably would have suffered from focusing too much on them, so this seemed like a nice balance of fun, while sneaking in some important life lessons while the kiddos weren’t looking.

My Video Game Ate My Homework is a fantasy graphic novel that incorporates gaming and friendship. Hand to students who enjoyed Cardboard by Greg TenNapel, The Time Museum series by Matthew Loux, or Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks.

This was fun and cute, not very deep, but it tried. Dewey, along with his twin sister Beatrice and a couple of their friends, Katherine and Ferg, team up to rescue Dewey's science project from a virtual reality game that ate it. Along the way, Dewey comes to terms with his dyslexia, and he and his sister come to an understanding that she can't always do things for him, but she can be there for him if he needs her. So, we do get a bit of warm fuzzy, but mostly this is a fast-paced adventure, because duh, they're in a video game, what do you expect? The art is colorful and cartoony, with lots of fun detail to get caught up in. The character 8-bit, a robot with a t.v. for a head, was my favorite, I think because of his resemblance to Canti from FLCL. Good fun!

#MyVideoGameAteMyHomework #NetGalley

I loved this book. But I’m concerned that the main character presents as BIPOC and the author is White. Why was this choice made? When my BIPOC students are looking for a mirror in a text I want them to see authenticity. :(

Dewey (game name: Overdew) has to finish his school project to save himself from a few months of dreary summer school when his best friend, Ferg, shows up with their school's ultimate science prize: a pre-release of a virtual reality console! The problem is - he accidentally broke it! As he pleads with Dewey to help him fix it, Dewey's project gets sucked into the game and they have to enter the quest to save his summer! The game is not easy and their adventures are further hampered by his dyslexia. A wildly inventive and funny graphic novel.

A guaranteed favorite for any video game dreamer who has ever wanted to jump into their favorite game. Dewey and his friends don't just succeed by working together but also by discovering their own uniqueness. Perfect for children ages 8 and up.

This is a fandom-filled graphic novel that kids and grownups alike will love Dewey is a 13-year-old kid on the verge of flunking science when he and his friends gets sucked into a video game adventure that presents them with challenges, fights with digital monsters, and puzzles to solve. Loaded with sight gags and wink-nudges to video games, con life, and overall fandom, kids (and big kids, like me) will see themselves in Dewey and Co. 

The book encourages readers to problem solve and emphasizes the importance of cooperation and teamwork. The cartoony-realistic style and fantasy monsters are so much fun - perfect story to introduce if you have Dungeons & Dragons fledgling fans. If you have Secret Coders readers, give them this book, which will continue challenging their problem-solving skills and captivating them with a fun storyline.

Dustin Hansen's also written the Microsaurs series, which never stays on my library shelves. (Which means I probably need to order them for my kid, because he would LOVE them.) I got to talk to him at Midwinter, and he's one of the nicest people ever.

Super cute graphic novel that is sure to appeal to middle school readers (and, honestly, some high school ones as well). I ordered a copy for my classroom library and am sad that this year's students will miss out on it. However, I have already taught the kids I'll have next year and I know several will enjoy it!

A fun graphic novel about the power of friendship and believing in yourself, with video games and a pet spider thrown in for fun! I loved the characters within and the cute references to games of all kinds. This will be a hit with kids who love video games but also love adventure and fun heroes to follow. The ending was a bit... abrupt, but I enjoyed this nonetheless.

Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from DC Entertainment through NetGalley.
Humor on every page in both the text and the art. These four friends opt for adventures in the virtual world after the video game takes Dewey's science project. They follow the volcano through the portal and experience the new game in person. Working together they make their way through the challenges and defeat the evil contenders to make it to the final challenge - a rather familiar looking volcano that's taken on a life of its own.
Hansen weaves the action and story together to bring fun and humor to middle grade readers. They'll be able to re-read and see new visual gags on each page.

A fun idea for a middle-grade comic, but the execution just fell completely flat for me. The writing and artwork didn't impress, sad to say.

Dewey and his friends dive into a virtual game after it eats the school project that will save him from summer school. This graphic novel has continuous action that will appeal to young gamers.

I believe this book would appeal to middle grade readers, however I didn't care for the cartoon style the author chose. I felt like the characters looked like ripped-off muppets. That being said, there was some nice diversity going on and the characters seemed relatable (they reminded me of some teens I know). I would consider purchasing it for my library's collection, but as an additional choice.

Kudos again to DC Comics for embracing the youth and young adult audience that so greatly benefits from building readership around graphic novels and comic books. My Video Game Ate My Homework presents a likeable story that makes proper use of digital ideas. I love the creativity of this book, and I love how DC is pushing at the edges of what they typically publish.

Bravo!

This was a fun graphic novel perfect for the middle school age or anybody who enjoys a fun, light-hearted story about video games and friendship. The story line was enjoyable and adventurous, and I love how the artwork lends itself well to a video game aesthetic. I wish we had such epic VR technology! It was also cool that this book included a variety of diversity, including a character who is dyslexic. I love the subtle nods to the story being set in the DC Universe without it focusing on specific superheroes. Highly recommend to the intended audience.

This is a super bright and colorful graphic novel had a nice retro feel that will get readers of all ages excited. Dewey and his friends are sucked inside a video video game and need to work together to adventure their way out! A great comic for the gamer in all of us.

This was a super cute story. It completely reminded me of something that my middle schooler would say or do. I think we need more. Books catered to that she group that have make main characters. Loved this one and plan on sharing it with him as well

I really enjoy the representation of a dyslexic main character (something I haven't seen in a book outside of Percy Jackson). I think it's incredibly powerful for middle grade readers to see diverse characters and characters with learning disabilities represented in the books they read. I loved the art style and the colors. This was a vibrant, fun middle grade story!

As usual, I am in love with DC's middle grade graphic novels! The art is fun, but I especially love the fact that Hansen worked with his son to create a main character who struggles with dyslexia. So many kids need to see people with dyslexia succeed, and "My Video Game Ate My Homework" knocks it out of the park in how they handle it! Kids who are super into Minecraft are going to eat this book up, though any kid who enjoys video games at all is going to enjoy it as well.