A Quest to Middle School

Homerooms and Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell

What if the universe of Dungeons & Dragons is the real one, and to relax after heroic quests and battling trolls, young people in that world play a non-adventure game called Homerooms and Hall Passes, in which they roll dice and consult charts to learn if they will survive in the stressful world of a suburban middle school? That's the premise of this witty, engaging story from Tom O'Donnell. You know, the creator of Hamstersaurus Rex.

To spin the story anti-clockwise from a myriad of D&D-inspired fantasy novels, the H&HP players find themselves trapped in the world of the game they've been playing. The Viking-like wielder of a hammer named "Boneshatter" must settle into the role of a nerd; the gothic loner elf must transform herself into one of the "popular" girls; the habits of the group's thief threaten all of them with expulsion; the virtuous warrior maiden must learn to tell white lies. 

And the apprentice wizard finds himself faced with leading his group against a challenge that many full-fledged wizards would turn away from.

Algebra.

Even if you've never played a game of D&D, I guarantee you'll find enough detail here to make sense, and more than enough thrills, puns, and wry observations to make you want to play along.