Gamerville - by Johnnie Christmas

About the Book

"Max Lightning is howling at the moon--he's finally qualified for Gamerville, a championship where players compete to be top dog in the multiplayer video game Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay. But his dreams of domination are doomed when his parents send him to Camp Reset. Gone are the long nights of downing energy drinks and getting copious amounts of screen time. They've been replaced with fresh air and group activities under the hot sun--a shock to the system for a lone wolf like Max. Can Max escape Camp Reset and level up at Gamerville, or has he finally played his last match?"--

Book Synopsis

A video gamer's championship aspirations are dashed when his parents send him to Camp Reset, where electronics are forbidden and you're forced to socialize, eat healthy, and spend time outside. Gamerville is a timely and vulnerable exploration of the importance of human connection and what it means to run in a pack, brought to you by award-winning author Johnnie Christmas.

Max Lightning is howling at the moon--he's finally qualified for Gamerville, a championship where players compete to be top dog in the multiplayer video game Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay. But his dreams of domination are doomed when his parents send him to Camp Reset. Gone are the long nights of downing energy drinks and getting copious amounts of screen time. They've been replaced with fresh air and group activities under the hot sun--a shock to the system for a lone wolf like Max. Can Max escape Camp Reset and level up at Gamerville, or has he finally played his last match?

Praise for GAMERVILLE:

An Indigo Staff Pick

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2024

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2024

A 2024 Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award Winner

Praise for SWIM TEAM:

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor

National Book Award Longlist

Kirkus Best Book of the Year

Eisner Award Best Publication for Kids Nominee

Harvey Award Best Children's or Young Adult Book Nominee

"Combines wonderful characters and history to create a story that will make you want to dive right in!" --Jerry Craft, author of the Newbery Award-winning New Kid

"A revelation! You'll root for Swim Team--the water is just right." --John Jennings, New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning creator

"Swim Team is a beautiful story about trying new things. Johnnie Christmas is a fantastic storyteller and artist." --Kazu Kibuishi, author of the Amulet series

"Full of charm, heart, and pulse-pounding races. A winner!" --Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese and Dragon Hoops

Review Quotes

"The characters are so loveable and it was a treat to watch them learn and grow. I wish I could spend the summer at Camp Reset!" -- Kayla Miller, bestselling author of the Click series

"Christmas (Swim Team) explores common middle school issues such as bullying, friendship fallout, and expanding one's perspective in this ambitious, fast-paced graphic novel. Video game aesthetics paired with brightly colored illustrations craft two distinct and complementary settings: one teeming with digital adventure and the other filled with wilderness whimsy." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Christmas tackles interesting, relevant, and unusual themes and presents thoughtful, emotional outcomes." -- Booklist

"This vibrant, colorful graphic novel shows that change engenders growth and improvement, and that strategies and skills are transferable between very different settings. 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." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The success and relatability of Christmas's Swim Team will draw middle grade readers to this charming graphic novel of video games, camp, making friends, and finding balance." -- School Library Journal