Parents' Guide to

Home Base by Scholastic

By Mieke VanderBorght, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Book series fans meet, play in kid-friendly virtual world.

Home Base by Scholastic Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

age 6+

i was searching for wings of fire games, most where kind of dull, until i found this.

you can turn off chat because its going to be in your face, nobody talks much anyways, also there is some violence in Qibli`s quest (a wings of fire minigame) but no blood or gore, but weird cheesy "OUCH" sound, you can sadly only talk to three dragons, glory, Qibli, tsunami, i like to chat with all three of them, they say interesting things depending on what option you choose, same with other worlds, there is human moderators 24/7 in home base, my favorite wings of fire minigame is speed wings. good for any age

This title has:

Easy to play/use
age 10+

Factual review and first hand experience

I am an adult parent and was able to sign on and participate as an avatar, including chat. There's no way I would want my child (3rd grader) to be chatting with a potential adult stranger. The chat feature does not stay off when de-activiated.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

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.

App Details

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