The "homework machine" is in the style of the large mainframe computers of the 1950s, but uses magnetic tapes, and microphone input instead of paper punched cards.

The concept of students using computers for research is common today; however, this computer was not merely a machine to which the drudgery of solving many three or four digit long division problems could be offloaded; it was also somehow able to accept "programming" of students' text books that enabled it to write reports on topics that were covered by the text books.

Amateur radio is used for the first (and possibly only) time in the series, with Danny and Irene attempting to get a homework question answered.

Floyd C. Gale wrote in the August 1959 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction that the book was "another funful adventure".

[2] McGraw-Hill Brockhampton Press MacDonald and Jane's Archway Books Pocket Books Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine was turned into a musical children's album on both Golden Records (Golden LP 239) and Wonderland Records (WLP-338), with music composed by Julie Mandel.