Hank Zipzer is a boy who struggles to do what others find easily, especially read and write. Since boys sometimes struggle academically in their early years, Hank's problems are something that anyone can relate to and feel good about knowing they're not alone. Hank's academic struggles are secondary to the main plot in this story, which is about his struggles in throwing a good pitch for his school's upcoming baseball game. Upper elementary level kids may find it amusing that Hank's good luck charm ends up being his sister's pink monkey socks, and that's more important than whether adults find it amusing. Some jokes are mildly amusing for adults, but no doubt younger kids will find something to laugh at in every page.
Hank's dilemmas and family feel real and believable, but they do have their quirks. Particularly the sister's pet iguana and the dachshund named Cheerio. The sequence when Hank's friends dress up as Hopi Indians is bizarre, but since Hank is studying for his history test about the Hopi, it makes at least some sense. The characters themselves aren't particularly colorful (I mean in terms of personality - they are a diverse bunch in terms of race and gender, though), but that's probably not going to matter to the target age group of these books. If you have a son who you are struggling to find a book for, this might be something he enjoys. The series has been a big hit in my classroom of ESL learners.
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