Home Base by Scholastic
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Free
- Family Games
Parents say
Kids say
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Get it now on
Searching for streaming and purchasing options ...
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Home Base by Scholastic is a large role-playing, virtual world app in which kids can play games with characters from popular book series, read excerpts from those books, and interact with other kids. Kids explore different islands, each of which represents a popular kids' book series from Scholastic, such as Wings of Fire, Goosebumps, or Geronimo Stilton. When kids play as a guest, they're limited to playing games and reading. If kids register, they can access all the community features such as chat, massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), or posts. When registering, kids must provide an email address; it doesn't specify that the address must belong to a parent. The chat has an automatic filter that limits what kids can say. There are also adult moderators who read what kids post to ensure everyone is following the chat guidelines. Moderators also maintain an event calendar that features game meet ups or special chats with authors or other special guests. When kids choose to read, they are transferred out of the app to their device's web browser where they can choose to download an excerpt from the book they've chosen. Home Base by Scholastic requests for access to the camera as kids may find some augmented reality content. Also, it's a large app and takes a long time to download; parents will want to make sure they have plenty of free space on their device. There's a lot to see in the games and other features, including small details, which might be hard to manage on a small screen. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
Wondering if Home Base by Scholastic is OK for your kids?
Set preferences and get age-appropriate recommendations with Common Sense Media Plus. Join now
Stay up to date on new reviews.
User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Factual review and first hand experience
It’s a good educational game
What's it about?
To play HOME BASE BY SCHOLASTIC, choose to enter as a guest, or register to access all the features. Registration requires kids to pick a username, provide an email address, and customize an avatar. Once in, all users can travel to different islands, each of which represents a different Scholastic book series. On the islands, kids can interact with main characters, read excerpts from the book, or play mini-games. Travel from island to island to change book theme, or visit the hub to get a sneak peak of them all. Collect points to buy items at the virtual store. Registered users have access to all the community features such as chat and role-play games. They can also create and post polls, comics, or stories. A newsfeed keeps kids up to date on special events and new posts.
Is it any good?
This virtual world is a relatively safe place for kids to connect with each other and geek out around their favorite book series. Home Base by Scholastic is large and there's lots to explore, particularly if kids register and use the full app. For kids who have multiple book interests, or don't nail down a particular series, it can feel a bit overwhelming -- at least at first. But, once kids find their groove, they should move around with ease. The games are quite varied and do a good job of highlighting the spirit of the book series they belong to. Kids can read some, but Home Base by Scholastic is more about playing games and interacting in a virtual world than reading. The short excerpts may pique kids' interest and inspire them to seek out a book series, but it's more likely that kids will choose to interact with the series they already know and love.
Kids who play as guests can still do a fair amount, which is great. But, the main feature of Home Base by Scholastic is really the community, where kids can connect with likeminded kids around the globe. Real-life human moderators in all the community areas provide a good sense of safety, and there are clear guidelines and grounds for removal. But, it's still a community space, and parents will probably want to be at least somewhat aware of what their kids are doing and experiencing there. Home Base by Scholastic can be a great meeting space for fans of a variety of book series.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about guidelines and expectations for interacting with others in Home Base by Scholastic. What's acceptable to share and what needs to stay private? How can kids talk to other kids respectfully? What should kids do if they feel uncomfortable with something someone says to them?
Ask kids about the book series that interests them? What are the books about? What draws kids to the characters or the stories?
Encourage kids to create their own content with the comics feature or write their own stories in the writing space. Have kids share what they've made with you.
It can be easy for kids to lose track of time in this virtual world. Make your family's rules and expectations around screen time clear before your kids start playing.
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading: reading, storytelling
- Skills: Creativity: imagination, making new creations
Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct
Tech Skills: social media - Price: Free
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: February 25, 2020
- Category: Family Games
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Book Characters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Size: 986.90 MB
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
- Version: 2.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.0 or later; Android 7.0 and up
- Last updated: April 21, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love reading and social networks
Themes & Topics
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.