First published 2011
Hank Zipzer has creative explanations for everything. His pens are always out of ink. Aliens control his brain. He's allergic to lined paper. The ten-year-old will say anything to avoid turning in assignments. But Hank's real problem isn't laziness or imagination. He has dyslexia and fears looking foolish in front of classmates. His elaborate schemes to dodge schoolwork backfire spectacularly. One attempt floods his entire classroom. Another lands him at his mother's deli, The Crunchy Pickle, where he tries stuffing his report card into the meat grinder. Each plan creates bigger disasters than the homework he's avoiding. This collection combines two early adventures of the self-proclaimed world's greatest underachiever. Hank learns that running from problems only makes them worse, but his journey toward accepting himself provides both laughs and heart.
Genres: family-life, humor, contemporary, middle-grade, disability
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, underdog
352 pages · Paperback · Walker Books Ltd