About the Author

Henry Winkler is an acomplished actor, producer and director. In 2003, Henry added author to his list of acheivements as he co-authored a series of children's books. 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.Henry is married to Stacey Weitzman and they have three children.
Lin Oliver is a writer and producer of movies, books, and television series for children and families. She has created over one hundred episodes of television, four movies, and seven books. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan. They have three sons named Theo, Ollie, and Cole, one fluffy dog named Annie, and no iguanas.

Reviews

Gr 3-6-The fourth title in the Hank Zipzer series (Grosset, 2003), written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, is narrated by Winkler. Hank lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side with his father, eccentric mother, younger sister, a spoiled iguana, and a quirky dog. Hank believes he is a terrible athlete, but one day he puts on a pair of his sister's socks by mistake. While practicing with his grandfather, he suddenly pitches every ball on target. His two best friends try to convince him to sign up for their softball team in PS 87's annual Olympiad. Hank, who has never been a good athlete and performs poorly in school because of dyslexia, decides his pitching prowess is the result of wearing the lucky socks. Hank is chosen as his team's pitcher, but finds out that the socks are also his sister's lucky charm and she needs to wear them for the academic component of the Olympiad. Hank doesn't believe he can be a successful pitcher without a lucky charm, so he asks his grandfather to attend the softball game and bring the dog as his new talisman. As the game progresses, all of the other pitchers on the team are incapacitated. Hank steps in and saves the day with his zippity zinger pitches, discovering that he doesn't need the lucky socks to lead his team to victory. This is a terrific selection for all youngsters, but especially for those dealing with learning disabilities.-Carol Y. Barker, Wheelerville School, Caroga Lake, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"At one time it was so hard for me to read a book. It is so monumental for me to be able to write a book. I want kids to be able to identify, laugh, and realize they're not alone no matter what their learning challenge is."