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Danny Dunn #3
Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine
Book by Williams, Jay
141 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
23 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Jay Williams
147 books41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
Jay Williams (May 31, 1914–July 12, 1978) was an American author born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Max and Lillian Jacobson. He cited the experience of growing up as the son of a vaudeville show producer as leading him to pursue his acting career as early as college. Between 1931 and 1934 he attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University where he took part in amateur theatrical productions.
Out of school and out of work during the end of the Depression, he worked as a comedian on the upstate New York Borscht Belt circuit. From 1936 until 1941, Jay Williams worked as a press agent for Dwight Deere Winman, Jed Harris and the Hollywood Theatre Alliance. And even though he played a feature role in the Cannes prize winning film, The Little Fugitive produced in 1953, he turned his attention to writing as a full time career after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart. While serving in the Army he published his first book, The Stolen Oracle, in 1943.
Williams may be best-known for his young adult "Danny Dunn" science fiction/fantasy series which he co-authored with Raymond Abrashkin. Though Abrashkin died in 1960, he is listed as co-author of all 15 books of this series, which continued from 1956 until 1977. Jay Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, such as The Stolen Oracle, The Counterfeit African, and The Roman Moon Mystery.
In all, he published at least 79 books including 11 picture books, 39 children's novels, 7 adult mysteries, 4 nonfiction books, 8 historical novels and a play.
Williams and his wife Barbara Girsdansky were married June 3, 1941. They had a son, Christopher ("Chris"), and a daughter, Victoria. Jay Williams died at age 64 from a heart attack while on a trip to London on July 12, 1978.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 23, 2014
I read this as a young boy and just recently had to re-read it as part of my job (we're prepping them for e-book releases). This is the third installment of the Danny Dunn boy scientist/inventor (note, NOT boy genius) series and switches up the formula by introducing the third member of the cast, Irene Miller, in this book (her Dad just moved to Midston, you see) alongside Danny and his bosom companion the thin, dour poet Joe Pearson.
In this installment, children reading this book will learn about computers circa 1958 - how they work, what programming them means, what they can do, what they CAN'T do and what they are not (self-aware). The Danny Dunn books, to my recollection, usually had one slightly fanciful element included while attempting to generally teach kids about some aspect of science and this was no exception. It's a tight little story where Danny (and, more reluctantly Joe and Irene) use Professor Bullfinch's new MINIAC computer to do their homework for them while the Doctor is away. Hijinks ensue due to the sabotage of "Snitcher" Harris, perpetual foil for Danny. In the end, the kids learn that by having to do the work of programming the information they needed for their homework into the computer, all they were really saving themselves was some time, as they were still learning what they needed to know (Irene does a bang-up job recovering from her garbled, MINIAC sabotaged report on Peru by basically remembering every page she entered on the spot! Good for her!).
There are some surprisingly nice grace notes here for a book aimed at 8 to 10-year-olds: short conversations about class sizes and effective teaching, if children should be allowed to use modern "tools" to help them in class ("you wouldn't expect us to write with quills and ink?" argues Danny). Eddie "Snitcher" Phillips, interestingly, while the obligatory "mean kid," is not dumb and figures out how to sabotage the computer pretty effectively (unlike his cohort Fatso). Irene stands up for women scientists, the choice to have Joe be a somewhat morose young poet is an interesting one (he might not have made it out of the 1960s counter culture as a young adult!) and the very subtle and underplayed attractions and jealousy between the various young characters is nicely done.
Two things struck me - one is the odd irony of people reading this on a kindle, the other that someone needs to create a character for children nowadays to make them interested in the practical and visionary aspects of science, ala COSMOS.
In this installment, children reading this book will learn about computers circa 1958 - how they work, what programming them means, what they can do, what they CAN'T do and what they are not (self-aware). The Danny Dunn books, to my recollection, usually had one slightly fanciful element included while attempting to generally teach kids about some aspect of science and this was no exception. It's a tight little story where Danny (and, more reluctantly Joe and Irene) use Professor Bullfinch's new MINIAC computer to do their homework for them while the Doctor is away. Hijinks ensue due to the sabotage of "Snitcher" Harris, perpetual foil for Danny. In the end, the kids learn that by having to do the work of programming the information they needed for their homework into the computer, all they were really saving themselves was some time, as they were still learning what they needed to know (Irene does a bang-up job recovering from her garbled, MINIAC sabotaged report on Peru by basically remembering every page she entered on the spot! Good for her!).
There are some surprisingly nice grace notes here for a book aimed at 8 to 10-year-olds: short conversations about class sizes and effective teaching, if children should be allowed to use modern "tools" to help them in class ("you wouldn't expect us to write with quills and ink?" argues Danny). Eddie "Snitcher" Phillips, interestingly, while the obligatory "mean kid," is not dumb and figures out how to sabotage the computer pretty effectively (unlike his cohort Fatso). Irene stands up for women scientists, the choice to have Joe be a somewhat morose young poet is an interesting one (he might not have made it out of the 1960s counter culture as a young adult!) and the very subtle and underplayed attractions and jealousy between the various young characters is nicely done.
Two things struck me - one is the odd irony of people reading this on a kindle, the other that someone needs to create a character for children nowadays to make them interested in the practical and visionary aspects of science, ala COSMOS.
August 11, 2017
This book came out in 1958 but I still fondly remember my introduction to computers through it's pages when I was in first grade back in 1963 and I dreamed of actually owning my own computer. It wasn't to happen for 17 more years before I was the proud owner of an Atari 400. But I think the day that I brought that home I was still thinking about the fun Danny, Joe and Irene had with Miniac.
December 29, 2009
Ah, the Homework Machine. A machine that works out arithmetic problems and grammar questions perfectly, and even does social studies homework. Who wouldn't want one? Danny and Joe meet Irene and the three of them immediately are up to scientific mischief, using Professor Bullfinch's new computer to do their homework for them.
Remember that this book was written in 1959 when computers were real computers, taking up an entire large room, with tape drives, blinking lights and lots of buttons. The idea of a computer so small (according to the book's illustration, about the size of a refrigerator) was science fiction at the time. I'm not sure how a kid today is going to react to the marvel of the computer in Danny Dunn's basement when they have one on their desk.
But the book holds up remarkably well. There is a nice reversal of the traditional sex roles of the time with Danny's best friend Joe writing poetry while his other best friend Irene is interested in science. The point made by author Jay Williams that computer don't "think" but merely process information we feed into them is just as true for today's PCs as it was for the IBM giants of yesteryear.
It is a bit corny, but the message it relays about experiential and constructive learning is consistent with educational theory of the 90's. Knowledge is often best attained when the student (at whatever age) helps to construct it themselves rather than having it handed to them to memorize. But then kids don't have to know this to enjoy the book.
Book Details:
Title Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine
Author Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Remember that this book was written in 1959 when computers were real computers, taking up an entire large room, with tape drives, blinking lights and lots of buttons. The idea of a computer so small (according to the book's illustration, about the size of a refrigerator) was science fiction at the time. I'm not sure how a kid today is going to react to the marvel of the computer in Danny Dunn's basement when they have one on their desk.
But the book holds up remarkably well. There is a nice reversal of the traditional sex roles of the time with Danny's best friend Joe writing poetry while his other best friend Irene is interested in science. The point made by author Jay Williams that computer don't "think" but merely process information we feed into them is just as true for today's PCs as it was for the IBM giants of yesteryear.
It is a bit corny, but the message it relays about experiential and constructive learning is consistent with educational theory of the 90's. Knowledge is often best attained when the student (at whatever age) helps to construct it themselves rather than having it handed to them to memorize. But then kids don't have to know this to enjoy the book.
Book Details:
Title Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine
Author Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin
Reviewed By Purplycookie
December 19, 2011
I loved Danny Dunn books when I was young. I just read this one to my three youngest and it was a hit! They kept begging for one more chapter every time I read. I'm not sure how much of the science they got, but they sure loved it when Irene pushed Snitcher in the mud puddle! :-)
April 17, 2020
This is a "golden-oldie" SBS book! It was published in 1958! So fascinating to see how people related to the very first computers, which took up a whole room! The in-home kind was probably a fantasy at that time!
June 2, 2024
It's the age old story - Homework vs LLM. Miniac or ChatGPT? Or as it comes out in the text, is this computer a tool to make work easier?
First off, this is the third in a series and the best so far. A new friend is introduced - a girl named Irene Miller - and she's more than a match for Danny and Joe. They communicate with short wave radio, and they work together on the homework - putting in more time than just doing it, of course.
Irene also acts at the first sounding board in whether it is "right" to do the homework via computer.
Professor Bullfinch leaves the kids in charge of Miniac (Mini Automatic Computer) while he is away. Miniac is a prototype, and even has verbal input! The professor asks Danny to feed in some tables of data, along with any interesting articles they come across in scientific magazines. Today's LLMs are fed with a much more automated process, but (like Danny and the magazine articles) the feeders don't seem too concerned about copyright.
In order for the kids to use it, they first must "analyze the questions, then program the computer to generate the answers." The argument Danny makes here is that he has to understand the subject well in order to program the computer to do it. This makes sense for his science and arithmetic homework.
It is here that we cross over the line. The kids must first feed in their textbooks (the exact process is not described - but I suspect it is meant to be "reading" the book aloud). After that, Miniac is able to "generate" pages of reports on the subject, depending on what the kids "program" the specific subjects to be. For this homework, the friends get top marks. Discussion of this aspect mirrors today's discussion about LLMs, though again the plagiarism is not mentioned.
The remainder of the book has some clever detection of a sabotage attempt and an overall resolution that I won't spoil here. It's a short book, it isn't necessary to read others in the series to understand what is going on, and I'd recommend it - the best of the Danny Dunn series so far.
I set out to read the series this far this year just to write this review and a comparison to LLMs, a "tool" which I see being pressed into service in many places. Unlike Danny Dunn, the folks using this aren't "programming" and they don't understand individual subjects as well as the kids in this book do. Certainly few people see the problem as clearly as Danny's teacher does here - and her resolution isn't a good solution for our society.
First off, this is the third in a series and the best so far. A new friend is introduced - a girl named Irene Miller - and she's more than a match for Danny and Joe. They communicate with short wave radio, and they work together on the homework - putting in more time than just doing it, of course.
Irene also acts at the first sounding board in whether it is "right" to do the homework via computer.
It’s just another kind of tool. Lots of kids do their homework on typewriters. In high school and college they teach kids to do some of their homework on slide rules. And scientists use all kinds of computers as tools for their work. So why pick on us? We’re just—just going along with the times.
Professor Bullfinch leaves the kids in charge of Miniac (Mini Automatic Computer) while he is away. Miniac is a prototype, and even has verbal input! The professor asks Danny to feed in some tables of data, along with any interesting articles they come across in scientific magazines. Today's LLMs are fed with a much more automated process, but (like Danny and the magazine articles) the feeders don't seem too concerned about copyright.
In order for the kids to use it, they first must "analyze the questions, then program the computer to generate the answers." The argument Danny makes here is that he has to understand the subject well in order to program the computer to do it. This makes sense for his science and arithmetic homework.
She can give information, like for social studies. I’ll bet, if we set her up properly, she could even write simple compositions.
It is here that we cross over the line. The kids must first feed in their textbooks (the exact process is not described - but I suspect it is meant to be "reading" the book aloud). After that, Miniac is able to "generate" pages of reports on the subject, depending on what the kids "program" the specific subjects to be. For this homework, the friends get top marks. Discussion of this aspect mirrors today's discussion about LLMs, though again the plagiarism is not mentioned.
The remainder of the book has some clever detection of a sabotage attempt and an overall resolution that I won't spoil here. It's a short book, it isn't necessary to read others in the series to understand what is going on, and I'd recommend it - the best of the Danny Dunn series so far.
I set out to read the series this far this year just to write this review and a comparison to LLMs, a "tool" which I see being pressed into service in many places. Unlike Danny Dunn, the folks using this aren't "programming" and they don't understand individual subjects as well as the kids in this book do. Certainly few people see the problem as clearly as Danny's teacher does here - and her resolution isn't a good solution for our society.
February 13, 2013
Before "personal computers", computer graphics, and the net, I read this book, and had this book read to me by my 6th Grade teacher Mr. Schott. And one of the things I recall was that Danny had to do just about as much work to get the homework machine to do his homework, that he might as well have done his homework.
That gave me a nice edge later in junior high school, high school, college, graduate school, and "the real world". Later, I would hear about hobbyists, and even 8th graders using computers at work places in the evenings.
Who would have thunk? Well a guy named Vandy Bush did about 20 years before in an article titled As We May Think which was the first test case web search I ever did as well as a college assignment. This was quite a book ahead of its time. We had other Danny Dunn books, too, but none as significant as this one.
I wonder if it affected my other classmates as well?
That gave me a nice edge later in junior high school, high school, college, graduate school, and "the real world". Later, I would hear about hobbyists, and even 8th graders using computers at work places in the evenings.
Who would have thunk? Well a guy named Vandy Bush did about 20 years before in an article titled As We May Think which was the first test case web search I ever did as well as a college assignment. This was quite a book ahead of its time. We had other Danny Dunn books, too, but none as significant as this one.
I wonder if it affected my other classmates as well?
June 4, 2024
Totally fun blast from my childhood. I loved these stories and the Encyclopedia Brown series when I was little!
In this book Danny and Joe meet Irene, a smart girl who feels unusually liberated for the times. She's not afraid to push back against the boys when they assume she doesn't understand science because she's a girl! Despite Irene's initial misgivings the three kids decide to use the Professor's invention - a smaller computer called MINIAC - to do their homework for them. Of course, problems ensue.
In this book Danny and Joe meet Irene, a smart girl who feels unusually liberated for the times. She's not afraid to push back against the boys when they assume she doesn't understand science because she's a girl! Despite Irene's initial misgivings the three kids decide to use the Professor's invention - a smaller computer called MINIAC - to do their homework for them. Of course, problems ensue.
September 30, 2009
I think this was an old book of my half-sister's or my mom's that I found as a kid, originally published in the late 50s. I liked the invention/science factor back then, and mightily wished for my own homework machine. As an adult, I was pleasantly surprised to find a feminist element with the main girl character (also into science), and amused by the "advanced" computer that only took up half a room and the dialogue of "Gee, that's swell!" and such.
December 2, 2007
I remember really liking these stories when I was young. Now, the fact that they were written in the 50's is pretty evident. :-) Still, an easy, fast, and pretty fun to read story.
January 8, 2017
Boy is this one out of date! A table with a computer filling the entire tabletop, called Minimac (Minny for short) and Mini because it is so tiny. Which it actually is compared with The Mark One mentioned in the book which filled an entire room. Kids may consider that science fiction in the opposite way because why would anyone bother with a table sized computer when they could just pull out their smart phone? But when you realize it was written in 1958, you can see it actually is pretty advanced work, particularly for a kids' book. It deals with programming computers and actually does a somewhat decent job explaining the purpose of programming and how it is set up. Now you can see why I gave an out of date book 4 stars. Very few current fiction books for the upper elementary grades discusses programming and I cannot think of another older book that discusses it. There is no way to learn programming from the vague comments in this book which is just as well since that would really date this book. Think about how soon any book on programming language is out of date. The scientific method is referred to and so is the deductive method of reasoning. Added to which there is a nice little moral lesson about the reason for homework which is something many kids wonder about. You can read the book to find out this reason if you don't already know it! Now the series is beginning to reach its potential and I need to get the next book out of the library.
November 20, 2023
I first read this book as a third-grader in 1959. I received it as one of that year’s Weekly Reader Book Club offerings. I liked it enough to keep it for so many years and have enjoyed it once again with much older eyes.
In 1959, the story of Danny and his friends using a computer to do their homework was fanciful. The notion that Danny could “cheat” and get a machine to do his work for him (and his learning how wrong he was) added an element of fun. I’m surprised to be re-introduced to the notion of a voice-input, semi-mobile, home computer as a 1959 fantasy story for kids. The story was surely drafted first on a tablet with pen or pencil.
As my own grand-daughter enters third grade, her books and information sources are generated and published with electronic tools. She reads and watches much of her entertainment in digital form. She and her friends create their own stories and videos using iPads, various apps. As I finish this re-read of Danny Dunn’s homework adventures, I smile at the fond memories it conjures up for me and I wonder what form reading and learning will have taken by the time my granddaughters’ own potential grand-kids are in their third year of formal learning and teaching.
What a pleasant re-read! I wonder how my granddaughter will respond if I can convince her to give it a whirl.
In 1959, the story of Danny and his friends using a computer to do their homework was fanciful. The notion that Danny could “cheat” and get a machine to do his work for him (and his learning how wrong he was) added an element of fun. I’m surprised to be re-introduced to the notion of a voice-input, semi-mobile, home computer as a 1959 fantasy story for kids. The story was surely drafted first on a tablet with pen or pencil.
As my own grand-daughter enters third grade, her books and information sources are generated and published with electronic tools. She reads and watches much of her entertainment in digital form. She and her friends create their own stories and videos using iPads, various apps. As I finish this re-read of Danny Dunn’s homework adventures, I smile at the fond memories it conjures up for me and I wonder what form reading and learning will have taken by the time my granddaughters’ own potential grand-kids are in their third year of formal learning and teaching.
What a pleasant re-read! I wonder how my granddaughter will respond if I can convince her to give it a whirl.
December 24, 2015
Apparently this was first published in 1958 and it's oddly prescient. The protagonist and his friends are tasked with "babysitting" an electronic brain/computer while the professor is away. Their job is to feed information into its memory banks but soon enough Danny gets the clever idea that this machine can help him to do his homework. While the technology may have seemed like science fiction 50 years ago, it's commonplace today. The kids interact with the computer via a voice interface that receives instructions and types out answers, but they have to make sure to phrase their queries exactly right or the answers will be gibberish -- a phenomenon familiar to anyone who uses voice commands on their smartphone today. It always amazes me how fast technology is progressing. i wonder what science fictions of today will become the science facts of tomorrow!
October 5, 2015
Danny and Joe, and new friend Irene, are in charge of Professor Bullfinch's newly-invented Miniac computer, which (miraculously) is capable of producing junior-high homework-quality printouts from voice commands.
At over 60 years old, this story has run out of steam. It still made a nice, nostalgic trip back to the Danny Dunn stories of my 5th-grade year -- this was an early story I had not yet read. I would recommend it now only for completeness, as there are other Danny Dunn stories that kids can find meaningful in a fast-paced, robot-overload, blaster-wielding, biological-apocalypse shambling horror-vs.-Time Lord sort of world we have now. Still longing for my jet-pack, Tomorrowland!
At over 60 years old, this story has run out of steam. It still made a nice, nostalgic trip back to the Danny Dunn stories of my 5th-grade year -- this was an early story I had not yet read. I would recommend it now only for completeness, as there are other Danny Dunn stories that kids can find meaningful in a fast-paced, robot-overload, blaster-wielding, biological-apocalypse shambling horror-vs.-Time Lord sort of world we have now. Still longing for my jet-pack, Tomorrowland!
October 27, 2018
I’ll say it every time I read these: two influences got me into science fiction when I was 8, 9, 10 years old...Lester del Rey...and Danny Dunn. My small library (serving a town of 15,000) had a handful of Jay Williams’s Dunn books and I ate them all up. I checked them out over and over. This one was wildly imaginative to a far fetched point, but as with a few of the series, surprisingly plausible 60 years later. So programming a computer by voice is still a work in progress, but Wolfram Alpha and Siri can answer simple questions.
It’s dated and still visionary. Looking forward to more nostalgia as time frees up.
It’s dated and still visionary. Looking forward to more nostalgia as time frees up.
November 1, 2010
Found a few of these "Danny Dunn" books in my favorite cousin's room the summer I was 8 (I think) and became obsessed with them. Back then it was hard to find books about science & adventure where the girl was best friends with 2 guys & she was the brainy one. Irene was my Hermione (Harry Potter.) Don't know how well current 8 year olds could relate to "Miniac."
May 26, 2011
This book was read to me when I was about three. Lo these many decades later, I still had a vague memory of the plot. I've been trying to find the name of the book for years and finally succeeded. I think a book deserves at least five stars for being so memorable. Now, I'm going to see if the local library still has a copy so I can read it again.
March 8, 2013
This came into my sphere of reading when I was about 10-12 years old, and I remember really enjoying it. The thought of using a computer to help with my homework was really attractive, even though I recognized even then that progrmming it would take far more work than just doing the homework myself. Still, it was an enticing thought, and appealed to my (very) juvenile imagination.
November 19, 2013
Great fun. I have fond memories of the misadventures of Danny, Joe, and Irene as they program a computer to do their homework for them. Professor Bulfinch's computer was an advance for the time of writing. In the 1950s, a computer took up a whole room, but his machine would fit in a corner of the office, though it was too big to qualify as a Desktop.
January 16, 2016
An unexpected and amusing children's read that I received as a birthday present. Definitely written to convey moral messages about cheating and friendship. Given its 1958 publishing date it had a realistic female character interested in science (although confined to the trope of choosing between two males) and a realistic portrayal of a computer and its limitations.
February 18, 2020
3.5- A book about computers right as they were becoming a thing. It was interesting to read people’s perspectives about the latest technology. The book is a quick read. The illustrations are great (by Ezra Jack Keats). I didn’t like the way they treated Eddie. Sure he’s a snitch, but he acted the way he did partly because of how rude they were to him.
March 3, 2014
Still as great as it was when I first read it in 1972. This time around I read it to my 10-year-old who was enthralled with how advanced The authors ideas of computer technology were so many decades ago he said mom it's like Siri
March 12, 2019
I read this book in 4th grade so my memory is a little hazy.
All I remember is loving everything about this book and having it completely encapsulate my imagination. I can recommend it to other 4th graders like me.
All I remember is loving everything about this book and having it completely encapsulate my imagination. I can recommend it to other 4th graders like me.
January 16, 2019
Rather dated, having been published in the 1950s, but Danny Dunn is up to brainy shenanigans and quite fun. If you like Alvin Fernald, the Great Brain, Encyclopedia Brown, and other clever boys, you'll like Danny Dunn.
November 15, 2009
Weekly Reader Children's Book Club
July 14, 2009
This book is really cool. Danny Dunn with his cool inventions are really cool. Especially if you're a boy interested in inventions.
March 4, 2015
my 7-year-old loved this one too.
Read
March 24, 2016I like the Danny Dunn book
October 22, 2017
Good memories of this children's series with a rather nerdish main character.
April 28, 2018
I would hope that kids today would enjoy the Danny Dunn books as they were originally written and not need them to be updated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews