The ''Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever''''Hank Zipzer: The Mostly True Confessions of the World's Best Underachiever'' in Books 1–3 and ''Hank Zipzer: The World's Best Underachiever'' in Book 4. series of American

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

(2003-2010) by actor Henry Winkler and writer

Lin Oliver Lin Oliver (born February 2, 1947) is an American writer, producer, and the co-founder (with Steve Mooser) of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. During the 1990s and early 2000s, she wrote and produced a number of works for ...

, tells the story of a dyslexic child, Hank Zipzer. The series is based on Winkler's difficulties with school as a child, and are set in his childhood home. After finishing the main series, Winkler and Oliver created a prequel called, ''Here's Hank.'' This series explores Hank's life as a second grader (2014 to 2019). In addition, Winkler and Oliver created a television series (and Christmas film) called '' Hank Zipzer'' that ran from January 2014 to December 2016 on the

CBBC channel CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7– ...

HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...

began streaming all three seasons of ''Hank Zipzer'' in May 2022 and '' Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe'' in December 2022.

Overview

Hank Zipzer is a young boy who is dyslexic. He lives on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

with his family, and attends P.S. 87 at Amsterdam Avenue and W 78th Street. His best friends are Frankie Townsend and Ashley Wong.

Major characters

Context

Henry Winkler states that in 2003, he experienced "a lull in my acting career." Winkler's then-manager, Alan Berger suggested to Winkler that he should write children's books about the difficulties he experienced as a child before he knew that he was dyslexic. Winkler was resistant to the idea, which he initially thought "was insane," saying that he "couldn’t do it." He finally agreed however, after Berger suggested that he co-write the books with an experienced author. Berger introduced Winkler to his friend, children's book author

. Winkler and Oliver met for lunch, and discussed Winkler's childhood experiences. Oliver remembers thinking that, "here is this very articulate accomplished man, who suffered all through childhood because he wasn't good in school. It's a very moving story. So we created a character together who is smart, funny, resourceful, popular, who’s got all the gifts - except that he is bad in school." Oliver and Winkler then developed the premise for series about a dyslexic child, Hank Zipzer, who is based on Winkler (and every character in the series is also based on a real person in Winkler's life). In naming the character, Winkler chose "Hank" (which is short for Henry), and "Zipzer," which was the name of a neighbor in the apartment building that he grew up in. Because they had both previously worked in television in multiple roles, they were used to collaborating and discussing ideas and working them out in a room together, which enabled their partnership. Winkler notes that this collaborative process is best reflected in the system they have developed that draws upon Oliver's strengths as a writer and Winkler's as an actor: Oliver types at the computer while Winkler talks. When Oliver has an idea, he waits while she types. When she reads it back to him, "we argue over every word, and then you say 'I have to get up, you drive me to drink.' And she gets a Snapple from the kitchen." The series ran from 2003-2010, consisting of 17 volumes. After they finished it, Winkler and Oliver created a prequel series, ''Here's Hank'' (2012 to 2016) that explores Hank's life as a second grader, before he was diagnosed as dyslexic. The ''Here’s Hank'' series also uses a special font called " dyslexie" (marking the first time that this font was used in book published in the United States).

Adaptations

''Hank Zipzer'' is a British

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television show, television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during ...

which stars Nick James in the titular role as a 12-year-old dyslexic schoolboy. Henry Winkler portrays Mr. Rock, Hank's music teacher, in the series. The first series premiered in January 2014 on the

. Unlike the books that took place in Winkler's native

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, the series takes place in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The second series began airing on 13 August 2015. Javone Prince made his first appearance as Mr. Joy in season 2, episode 5, "Hank's Hero". The third series began airing on 26 May 2016, which was followed by an 84-minute

Christmas movie Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in in literature and Christmas music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptatio ...

released on 12 December 2016.

began streaming all three seasons of ''Hank Zipzer'' in May 2022, and ''Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe'' in December 2022.

Reception

Accolades and honors

Henry Winkler haas been recognized for contributing to a greater understanding of dyslexia and

learning disabilities Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficult ...

through the ''Hank Zipzer'' series. He was given the Key to the City of Winnipeg for "contributions to education and literacy," (2010) was appointed an

Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) "for services to children with special educational needs and dyslexia in the UK" by Queen Elizabeth (2011), was named one of the ''United Kingdom's Top 10 Literacy Heroes'' (2013), and was awarded the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award for Contributions to the Public Good for his children's books (2019).

List of books

1. '' Niagara Falls, or Does It?'' (January 1, 2003) :Instead of writing an assigned essay on his summer vacation, Hank tries building a model of

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...

, his family's summer vacation spot. This was adapted in the TV series as "Classroom Catastrophe", the first episode of Series 1 and the overall series. 2. '' I Got a "D" in Salami'' (May 12, 2003) :Hank tosses his report card in his mother's

meat grinder A meat grinder (also called a "meat mincer" in the UK) is a kitchen appliance for fine chopping ('mincing') and/or mixing of raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables or similar food. It replaces tools like the mincing knife (which are also use ...

to get out of showing his parents his report card. The chase is on when he finds out his report-card-salami is going to one of his mom's most important sponsor choices! This was adapted in the TV series as "The Mortadella Disaster", the eighth episode of Series 1. 3. '' Day of the Iguana'' (September 1, 2003) :Hank tries to disassemble and reassemble the cable box for his science project. But how is he supposed to put it back together when Katherine the iguana has laid her eggs in it? This was adapted in the TV series as "Battle of the Goblins", the fourth episode of Series 1. 4. ''The Zippity Zinger'' (December 1, 2003) :Hank's friends choose Hank to be the pitcher for their school, P.S. 87's Olympiad baseball team. Since Hank can't pitch for his life, he thinks his sister's lucky red monkey socks may be the answer. Only one problem - Emily needs them on the same day for her part of the Olympiad! This was adapted in the TV series as "The Lucky Socks", the second episode of Series 1. 5. ''The Night I Flunked My Field Trip'' (May 1, 2004) :Hank has an overnight field trip to a docked

boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically found on inl ...

in New York Harbor. But when Hank accidentally undocks the boat, the trouble begins...He makes friends with Colin Sebastian Rich IV. 6. '' Holy Enchilada!'' (August 19, 2004) :Hank needs to prepare some

enchilada An enchilada (, ) is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with various ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or combinations. ...

s for his school multi-cultural day. But, he may have added too much hot sauce... Elements from this book were adapted in the TV series as "Anyone for Lizard?", the twelfth episode of Series 1. 7.'' Help! Somebody Get me out of Fourth Grade!'' (December 16, 2004) :When his parents get called for a parent-teacher conference, Hank just ''knows'' his teacher is going to tell them he's being held back. There's just one way to make sure they don't show up - sabotage! 8. ''Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up?'' (April 21, 2005) :Hank gets sent to summer school without his friends, Frankie Townsend and Ashley Wong. 9. ''My Secret Life as a Ping-pong Wizard'' (September 22, 2005) :Hank's finally in the fifth grade, except he is still stuck with Ms. Adolf and he's also found a sport he's good at -

ping-pong Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

! But when his friends tease the sport, Hank decides to keep it a secret. 10. ''My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail'' (August 1, 2006) :Hank tries to scare Nick in a

haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...

he makes with his friends. This was adapted in the TV series as "Haunted Hank", the fifth episode of Series 1. 11. ''The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down'' (May 3, 2007) :Hank gets a lead part in a school play (''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

'') but he can only do the play if he gets a B plus on his next math test. He has a math tutor called Heather Payne. This was adapted in the TV series as the third episode of Series 1. 12. '' Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived My Family Road Trip'' (July 5, 2007) :The Zipzers take a road trip to a

crossword puzzle A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answ ...

tournament and a roller coaster park in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. But when he mistakenly leaves Ms. Adolf's vacation homework packet at a motel, he and Frankie set out to have it delivered - without Mr. Zipzer finding out. 13. ''Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me!'' (December 27, 2007) :Hank hears his mom talking to Frankie's mom over the phone about a baby. Frankie will be shocked! Or at least until Hank realizes she was talking about herself! This was adapted in the TV series as "Who Ordered the Baby?", the ninth episode of Series 1. 14. ''The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk'' (May 1, 2008) :Mr. Rock takes over as Hank's teacher. Hank is psyched....until Mr. Rock suggests that Hank takes an after school reading program, which means he will have to miss

tae kwon do ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

. But when Hank gets a crush on a girl in the reading program, and when Mr. Rock says, instead of doing an autobiography (a class assignment), Hank may do a scrapbook of his life, everything is going right. Then Hank finds out that the girl he likes is Nick McKelty's cousin. Elements from this book were adapted in the TV series as "My First Date Dilemma", the thirteenth episode of Series 1. 15. ''A Tale of Two Tails'' (November 26, 2008) :Hank's school holds a pet contest and the winner becomes the

school mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fict ...

. How is Hank supposed to train his dachshund, Cheerio, if he (Cheerio) keeps messing around? 16. ''Dump Trucks and Dogsleds: I'm on My Way, Mom!'' (August 6, 2009) :Hank's mom is having a baby, and the baby is going to share a room with Hank. Hank ''did'' feel better when his dad took his sister Emily and him on a 'pre-baby' ski trip. But when Hank's mom called to say the baby was coming early, they had to cut their trip short. The only problem was that a freak snowstorm had arrived and they were stuck. Whether they had to ride on horses, dump trucks, dogsleds, or even in a truck with ten

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

acrobats, they would get home in time to meet Baby Zipzer. Elements from this book were adapted in '' Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe'', a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

set in the universe of the TV series. 17. ''A Brand-New Me!'' (April 20, 2010) :Hank can't graduate without his

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

, so Mr. Rock gives him a job cleaning instruments and, while doing the job, Hank discovers his ability to write short plays on the spot, and auditions for a Performing Arts school, all before finding out that Frankie and Ashley will be going to a different school. 18. ''The Colossal Camera Calamity'' (04 Jun 2015; based on the

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...

TV series, not part of the original book series) :It's school-photo time, which is the worst time of year for Hank Zipzer. No matter what he does, he always ends up looking like he's just seen Miss Adolf dancing. Bleurg! This year, he's determined to get it right. Unfortunately school bully Nick McKelty has other ideas... This was adapted in the TV series as "Camera Calamity", the first episode of Series 2.

Notes

References

External links

Hank Zipzer OfficialHere's Hank OfficialHenry Winkler Interview - Hank Zipzer
-

, August 5, 2016
Life is coming full circle for Henry Winkler (''Here's Hank'')

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

, Feb 8, 2019 {{Authority control American children's novels Series of children's books Dyslexia in fiction