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Hank Zipzer facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever is a fun series of books for kids. It was written by Henry Winkler, who was an actor on the TV show Happy Days, and Lin Oliver. The first book, Niagara Falls, or Does It?, came out in 2003.

In 2014, the Hank Zipzer books were made into a TV show. Since 2015, the books have been printed using a special font called Dyslexie. This font helps people with dyslexia read more easily.

About Hank Zipzer

Hank Zipzer is the main character in the books. He is a young boy who has dyslexia, which means his brain works a bit differently when it comes to reading and writing. Henry Winkler, one of the authors, based Hank on his own childhood experiences. Winkler also has dyslexia and ADHD, which can make it hard to focus sometimes.

Hank lives in Manhattan, a big city in New York. He lives with his family on the Upper West Side. He goes to P.S. 87, a school located at Amsterdam Avenue and W 78th Street. Hank's best friends are Frankie Townsend and Ashley Wong.

The Books in the Series

Here are the books in the Hank Zipzer series:

  • Niagara Falls, or Does It? (2003)
    Hank needs to write an essay about his summer vacation. Instead, he tries to build a model of Niagara Falls, where his family went. This book was turned into an episode of the TV show called "Classroom Catastrophe."
  • I Got a "D" in Salami (2003)
    Hank gets a bad report card. To hide it, he throws it into his mom's meat grinder! But then he finds out his report card salami might go to an important person. This story became the TV episode "The Mortadella Disaster."
  • Day of the Iguana (2003)
    For his science project, Hank tries to take apart a cable box. But then he finds out that Katherine the iguana has laid her eggs inside it! This book was adapted into the TV episode "Battle of the Goblins."
  • The Zippity Zinger (2003)
    Hank's friends pick him to be the pitcher for their school baseball team. Hank is not good at pitching. He thinks his sister's lucky red monkey socks might help. But his sister needs them on the same day! This became the TV episode "The Lucky Socks."
  • The Night I Flunked My Field Trip (2004)
    Hank goes on an overnight field trip to a boat in New York Harbor. Accidentally, Hank makes the boat float away from the dock! That's when the trouble starts. He also makes a new friend named Colin Sebastian Rich IV.
  • Holy Enchilada! (2004)
    Hank has to make enchiladas for his school's multi-cultural day. He might have added way too much hot sauce! Parts of this book were used in the TV episode "Anyone for Lizard?"
  • Help! Somebody Get me out of Fourth Grade! (2004)
    Hank's parents are called for a parent-teacher conference. Hank is sure his teacher will tell them he has to repeat the fourth grade. He tries to stop his parents from going!
  • Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? (2005)
    Hank gets sent to summer school. His friends, Frankie and Ashley, don't have to go.
  • My Secret Life as a Ping-pong Wizard (2005)
    Hank is finally in fifth grade. He is still with Ms. Adolf, his teacher. He also finds a sport he is good at: ping-pong! But his friends make fun of the sport, so Hank keeps it a secret.
  • My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail (2006)
    Hank tries to scare Nick in a haunted house he builds with his friends. This book was adapted into the TV episode "Haunted Hank."
  • The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down (2007)
    Hank gets a main part in a school play called The King and I. But he can only be in the play if he gets a B plus on his next math test. He gets help from a math tutor named Heather Payne. This book was adapted into the third episode of the TV series.
  • Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me! (2007)
    Hank hears his mom talking about a baby. He thinks Frankie's mom is having one! But then he realizes his own mom is talking about herself! This became the TV episode "Who Ordered the Baby?"
  • The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk (2008)
    Mr. Rock becomes Hank's new teacher. Hank is excited! But Mr. Rock suggests Hank join an after-school reading program. This means Hank will miss his tae kwon do class. Hank gets a crush on a girl in the reading program. Mr. Rock also says Hank can make a scrapbook of his life instead of writing an autobiography. Everything seems great until Hank finds out the girl he likes is Nick McKelty's cousin. Parts of this book were used in the TV episode "My First Date Dilemma."
  • A Tale of Two Tails (2008)
    Hank's school has a pet contest. The winner gets to be the school mascot. Hank tries to train his dachshund, Cheerio, but Cheerio keeps getting into trouble!
  • Dump Trucks and Dogsleds: I'm on My Way, Mom! (2009)
    Hank's mom is having a baby, and the baby will share a room with Hank. Hank feels better when his dad takes him and his sister Emily on a ski trip before the baby arrives. But then Hank's mom calls to say the baby is coming early! A big snowstorm hits, and they are stuck. They have to use horses, dump trucks, dogsleds, and even a truck with ten Chinese acrobats to get home in time to meet Baby Zipzer. Parts of this book were used in Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe, a TV movie based on the TV series.
  • A Brand-New Me! (2010)
    Hank needs to do community service to graduate. Mr. Rock gives him a job cleaning musical instruments. While doing this, Hank discovers he is good at writing short plays. He auditions for a Performing Arts school. He also finds out that Frankie and Ashley will be going to a different school.
  • The Colossal Camera Calamity (2015)
    This book is based on the CBBC TV series. It's time for school photos, which Hank hates. He always looks silly! This year, he wants to get a good picture. But the school bully, Nick McKelty, has other plans. This book was adapted into the TV episode "Camera Calamity."

Main Characters

Name About Them
Henry "Hank" Daniel Zipzer The main character. He has learning challenges like dyslexia.
Nick "The Tick" McKelty The class bully. He is not very smart.
Fanny Adolf Hank's teacher and the Assistant Principal. She doesn't like fun or jokes. She always wears grey clothes.
Frankie Townsend Hank's African-American best friend. He thinks "oxygen is power" and has a nickname for everyone.
Leland Love Hank's principal. He repeats everything twice and likes to answer his own questions. He has a funny mole on his skin that looks like the Statue of Liberty without her torch.
Ashley Wong Hank's other Chinese-American best friend. She is a great athlete and loves rhinestones.
Mr. Gristediano A friend who gives Hank's parents ideas about different ways for Hank to learn.
Robert Upchurch A very smart boy in Hank's grade. He lives in the same building as Hank and often says random facts.
Papa Pete Hank's grandfather. He often takes the kids on adventures and playfully pinches his grandkids.
Carlos A person who works at Hank's mom's deli, the Crunchy Pickle.
Emily Grace Zipzer Hank's younger sister. She is very smart, especially about reptiles. She can be annoying and likes Robert Upchurch. She has a pet iguana named Katherine.
Randi Zipzer Hank's mother. She runs the Crunchy Pickle Deli. She makes healthy foods that sometimes taste strange. In the TV series, her name is Rosa.
Stanley Zipzer Hank's father. He loves crossword puzzles.
Cheerio Zipzer Hank's dachshund dog. He looks like a Cheerio when he runs in circles.
Katherine Zipzer Emily's pet iguana. She slurps food from the dinner table.
Vlady Another person who works at Hank's mother's deli, the Crunchy Pickle.
Mr. Rock Hank's music teacher. He is Hank's favorite teacher.
Mason Harris Jerome Dunn Hank's friend who is in kindergarten.
Heather Payne A very tall and smart girl who helped Hank with math.
Sam Chin Hank's other kindergarten friend. He plays ping-pong with Hank.
Luke Whitman A boy in Hank's class who is often gross and picks his nose.
Dr. Lynn Berger Hank's dyslexia teacher. She is very kind and always encourages Hank.
Mrs. Fink Hank's next-door neighbor. She likes Papa Pete and often bakes things for him.
Joelle Atkins Nick's girlfriend. She is always on her phone.
Zoe McKelty Hank's girlfriend. She is also Nick McKelty's cousin.
Collin Sebastian Rich IV Hank's friend from the book The Night I Flunked My Field Trip. He bites his nails and only knows three knock-knock jokes, and two of them aren't funny.
Yoshi A boy from Japan who loves lizards. Hank hosted him in Holy Enchilada!.

The TV Series

Main article: Hank Zipzer (TV series)

In September 2013, the CBBC channel decided to make a TV show based on the books. The show started in January 2014. It was so popular that they made a second and third season!

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