Series:

Hank Zipzer; The World's Greatest Underachiever

16 primary works • 19 total works

Book 1

Cover of Niagara Falls, or Does it?
Fourth-graders Hank, Ashley, and Frankie are excitedly preparing for a magic show at the Rock 'N Bowl when Hank's creative alternative to an English essay lands him in detention and grounded the week of the show.

Book 2

Cover of I Got A D in Salami

I Got A D in Salami

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 January 2003
Antics ensue after Hank throws his report card into a meat grinder.

Book 3

Cover of The Day of the Iguana #3

The Day of the Iguana #3

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 January 2001
Inspired by the true life experiences of Henry Winkler, whose undiagnosed dyslexia made him a classic childhood underachiever, the Hank Zipzer series is about the high-spirited and funny adventures of a boy with learning differences.

It's science project time in Ms. Adolf's class. This is good news and bad news for Hank-he loves science, but he hates the report part. So Hank turns to TV to take his mind off things. But when the program directory scrolls by too quickly for Hank to know what's on, he decides to take apart the cable box to try to slow down the crawl. Great! Now Hank has found the perfect science project! But what he wasn't counting on was his sister's pet iguana laying eighteen eggs in the disassembled cable box. How is Hank going to get out of this one?

Illustrated by Carol Heyer.

Book 4

Cover of The Zippity Zinger

The Zippity Zinger

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 December 2003

Book 5

Cover of The Night I Flunked My Field Trip
Hank is thrilled about the "Best Field Trip of the Year"-everyone from Ms. Adolph's class gets to spend the night on an old-fashioned three-mast sailing ship in New York Harbor!  And Hank gets even more excited when the ship's captain chooses him to be the first mate.  But being first mate is not all it's cracked up to be, especially for a crazy captain who takes his job a little too seriously.  The best field trip of the year is becoming the worst night of Hank's life-how's he going to get out of this one?

Book 6

Cover of The Zippity Zinger #4

The Zippity Zinger #4

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 29 December 2003
Inspired by the true life experiences of Henry Winkler, whose undiagnosed dyslexia made him a classic childhood underachiever, the Hank Zipzer series is about the high-spirited and funny adventures of a boy with learning differences.

PS 87 is having multicultural week, and Ms. Adolf's class is putting on a "Foods From Around the World" luncheon. Hank makes enchiladas, and at the luncheon, Ms. Adolf piles her plate with lots of food. But after a few bites, her face turns bright red-one of the dishes is super-spicy! Ms. Adolf accuses someone of playing a mean practical joke and punishes the entire class with no recess until the guilty party comes forward. Hank realizes his trouble with numbers might have caused the problem-what if he accidentally used three cups of peppers instead of 1/3 cup? Will Hank be able to get recess back for everyone without getting detention for the rest of his life?

Illustrated by Carol Heyer.

Book 7

Cover of Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade #7
It’s time for the end of year parent-teacher conference, and Hank’s in a panic. He’s afraid that his teacher is going to tell his parents that he has to repeat the fourth grade. So Hank creates an elaborate scheme to have his parents win an out-of-town trip so they’re gone during the conference days. Of course, the plan backfires. Will Hank have to stay in fourth grade forever?

Book 9

Cover of My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard

Book 10

Cover of My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat

My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 17 August 2006

Book 11

Cover of Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down
Hank Zipzer is failing math, so he has to work with Heather Payne, resident class brain, to help get his grades up. At the same time, Hank’s school is putting on a production of The King and I. As coincidence would have it, Hank is cast as the King, and Heather as Anna. But when Hank’s dad tells him he can only appear in the play if he gets a B on his next math test, Hank knows he has to hit the books. Can Hank pull through in time for the show?

Book 12

Cover of Barfing in the Backseat
Hank's dad has decided to enter a crossword-puzzle tournament, and he wants to make a family road trip of it! So the family piles into the car—along with Frankie and Katherine the iguana (Hank and Emily each get to bring a "friend"). When they reach their destination, they'll get to spend the day at a roller-coaster park during Hank's dad's tournament! The only caveat is that Hank has a homework packet to finish before they get there . . . which he somehow manages to lose at a stop along the way. Suddenly, Hank doesn't feel so good . . . Can Hank and Frankie rescue the lost packet and get Hank on a roller coaster?

Book 13

Cover of Who Ordered this Baby? Definitely Not Me!
One afternoon, Hank overhears his mom and Frankie's mom talking about having a baby. Having a baby!? It must be Frankie's mom that they're talking about! Frankie will go crazy when he hears about this! Hank worries about how to break the news to his best friend, until he finds out that it's his own mother who is pregnant! How could she do this to him? One annoying sibling is enough. Hank definitely did not order this baby!

Book 14

Cover of The Life of Me (Enter at Your Own Risk)

Love the new CBBC series? Read the original books! TV tie-in edition of the New York Times bestselling series about the hilarious adventures of a cheeky, loveable hero.

Twelve-year-old Henry "Hank" Zipzer is a smart and resourceful boy with a unique perspective on the world. Hank has dyslexia, and when problems arise, he deals with them in a way no one else would - putting him on a direct collision course with his teachers and parents, who don't seem to appreciate his latest scheme as much as he thought they would... But Hank always remains positive and convinced that the next big plan will deliver - after all, tomorrow is another day! In The Life of Me (Enter at Your Own Risk), Hank gets a crush on a girl. Life is looking good until Hank finds out that his crush is actually the cousin of his nemesis, McKelty!

Book 14

Cover of The Life of Me

The Life of Me

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 May 2008

Book 15

Cover of A Tale of Two Tails

A Tale of Two Tails

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 November 2008

Love the new CBBC series? Read the original books! TV tie-in edition of the New York Times bestselling series about the hilarious adventures of a cheeky, loveable hero.

Twelve-year-old Henry "Hank" Zipzer is a smart and resourceful boy with a unique perspective on the world. Hank has dyslexia, and when problems arise, he deals with them in a way no one else would - putting him on a direct collision course with his teachers and parents, who don't seem to appreciate his latest scheme as much as he thought they would... But Hank always remains positive and convinced that the next big plan will deliver - after all, tomorrow is another day! In A Tale of Two Tails, Hank and his sister Emily have both entered their pets into the school-mascot competition. Let battle commence!

Book 17

Cover of A Brand-New Me! #17

A Brand-New Me! #17

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 20 April 2010
It’s graduation time for Hank Zipzer and all his friends— time to move on from PS 87 to middle school. Trouble is, there are tests Hank has to pass to get into the same middle schools as his friends, and his learning differences might get in the way. Luckily, a life-altering audition at a performing arts middle school helps him find his true path.

Cover of Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up?
Summer school are two words in the English language that Hank Zipzer doesn't want to learn. But there's no getting out of this one for Hank-summer school, here he comes! Will Hank have to spend the summer bored to death inside a sweltering classroom, or will he actually learn a cool lesson or two?

Cover of Dump Trucks and Dogsleds

Dump Trucks and Dogsleds

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Published 1 August 2009
When Hank first heard that his mom was having a baby boy, he wasn't so thrilled. And when he finds out that the baby will be sharing his room, Hank is positively outraged! To make things easier, Dad suggests he take Hank and Emily away for some bonding. But on the first day of their trip, a freak snowstorm arrives. And then they get a call that the baby is coming early! Hank, Dad, and Emily know they have to get home - and fast! They hop on a train, hitch a ride on a dump truck, jump on a snowmobile, and climb into a dogsled, all in a desperate attempt to get home in time for Baby Zipzer's birth.

Cover of The World's Best Underachiever