GAMERVILLE

Can online gaming strategies help a boy escape from summer camp in time for a video game tournament?

Maxwell lives for video games, and qualifying for the Gamerville tournament is his greatest achievement yet. However, recognizing the negative impact excessive gaming is having, Max’s highly protective mother realizes he needs more outdoor time: She signs him up for technology-free Camp Reset, a place she has fond memories of attending as a child, although it conflicts with the tournament. Zanzi, the great-great-granddaughter of Camp Reset’s founder, strictly and enthusiastically adheres to tradition, causing her friends to pull away. Camper Dylan struggles with overcoming his past as a cyberbully. Through his video game lens, Max at first sees other kids as recruitable allies, but he gradually realizes they’re true friends. Still, he’s determined to escape to Gamerville; could strategies he’s learning at camp help? Max’s and Zanzi’s families are Black; the supporting cast is racially diverse. This vibrant, colorful graphic novel shows that change engenders growth and improvement, and that strategies and skills are transferable between very different settings. The lavish facilities (for the small number of campers), minimal adult supervision, and questionable safety protocols strain credulity, but Christmas’ work commendably demonstrates respect for both video game culture and unplugged living, showing the positives and negatives of each while offering valuable representations of Black kids enjoying nature and gaming.

Themes of positive change thread this tribute to video games, summer camp, and emotional growth.