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Hank Zipzer #17
A Brand-New Me!
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.
160 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2010
12 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Henry Winkler
114 books559 followersHenry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 29, 2018
“Lazy”, “underachieving”, “distracted”, and “unfocused” were some of the words used to describe Henry (Hank) Zipzer his whole time in elementary school. Now, he was graduating to middle school and looking forward to it being better. Hank has dyslexia. Dyslexia is when a person sees letters backwards, so reading and spelling are very difficult. Hank was getting help with his dyslexia and would work with Dr. Lynn Berger, the school counselor. Nick McKelty, the school bully, picked on Hank frequently and always called Hank a loser. Hank had been told that he was “never going to make something of himself” so frequently, that he was actually starting to believe it was true. When Hank discovers he didn’t get into the same school his best friends, Ashley and Frankie, did he was upset, but not surprised. He didn’t think he’d ever get into the “smart” school. He also finds out he didn’t complete his community service to graduate so needs to get it done. He makes a plan to work with Mr. Rock, the music teacher, to help clean the instruments for the next school year. This would complete his requirement for community service. While Hank was polishing the instrument, he would make up stories in his head. Sometimes the stories didn’t just stay in his head though and he would talk out loud. Mr Rock enjoyed Hank’s imagination and ability to act out a story. He told Hank he had a “unique talent”. These were words Hank never heard used to describe him before. Mr. Rock wanted Hank put in an application at a different type of school. Hank would have to audition to be accepted into the Professional Performing Arts School. When the audition came Hank was very nervous but prepared. He had practiced. It was going very well until Hank was given a script to read and told that he’d have to do a cold read. Hank couldn’t read it. He couldn’t make out the words. He was in a panic! He didn’t know what to do. Will Hank be able to finish the audition? Will he be able to get into this school?
“A Brand New Me” is #17 book in the Hank Zipzer series. It is written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. It is a fictional book but based on some of the struggles Henry Winkler had growing up with dyslexia. Many of the struggles the main character, Hank, has are true to life situations. It is easy for me to relate to this character because he is a boy and close to my age. Both boys and girls from elementary age through middle school would like this book. I liked this book better than some of the other books I have read in this series. It explained more about Hank’s understanding of his learning problem. He realizes people don’t think he is very smart since his grade are low. He has started to believe he is not smart. Mr. Rock showed him that he had talents that other people do not. He showed Hank that “...you only learn by making mistakes.” Hank began to realize there are other ways to be smart then reading something and just taking a test over it. Hank’s imagination showed he was smart. He learned to stopped believing what other people thought, and he learned to believe in himself. “Smart? No teacher had ever said that before.” Hank learned there are many ways to be smart.
“A Brand New Me” is #17 book in the Hank Zipzer series. It is written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. It is a fictional book but based on some of the struggles Henry Winkler had growing up with dyslexia. Many of the struggles the main character, Hank, has are true to life situations. It is easy for me to relate to this character because he is a boy and close to my age. Both boys and girls from elementary age through middle school would like this book. I liked this book better than some of the other books I have read in this series. It explained more about Hank’s understanding of his learning problem. He realizes people don’t think he is very smart since his grade are low. He has started to believe he is not smart. Mr. Rock showed him that he had talents that other people do not. He showed Hank that “...you only learn by making mistakes.” Hank began to realize there are other ways to be smart then reading something and just taking a test over it. Hank’s imagination showed he was smart. He learned to stopped believing what other people thought, and he learned to believe in himself. “Smart? No teacher had ever said that before.” Hank learned there are many ways to be smart.
November 9, 2014
Hank Zipzer is an outgoing boy that is nearing the end of his time at PS 87. The trouble is that most of his friends are going on to a middle school that Hank doesn't think he can get into because the tests are so hard! Along the way, Hank's hijinks lead to more than a few problems, but it is when he auditions at an arts school that he learns where his true talents lie. Will Hank be able to find happiness and move along with his friends, or is something all together different in Hanks future? Read A Brand-New Me by Henry Winkler to find out for yourself.
Higher Level Thinking Questions:
1. Invent a new scenario where the story is about a girl in Hank's shoes. What do you think would happen?
2. What is your opinion of Hank as the main character, and why?
3. How could you rewrite the story from Mr. Rock's point of view?
4. What do you predict will happen with Hank during his middle school years?
5. What did you like/dislike about how they way things ended in the story (and series)?
Higher Level Thinking Questions:
1. Invent a new scenario where the story is about a girl in Hank's shoes. What do you think would happen?
2. What is your opinion of Hank as the main character, and why?
3. How could you rewrite the story from Mr. Rock's point of view?
4. What do you predict will happen with Hank during his middle school years?
5. What did you like/dislike about how they way things ended in the story (and series)?
June 13, 2010
i really like hank zipzer and how he overcomes his "learning challenges". there are always dialogs in this series that i hate. maybe they are over-exaggerations? the way the bully and hank talk to each other is bad enough, but then they talk that way in front of teachers? there is one teacher who is a complete discouragement? one thing that got me is that they never resolved the whole service hours thing! i guess he got them?
October 23, 2011
" A Brand New Me" is a story about a boy is trying to figure out what middle school to go to. All of his friends are going to a brainy school, but his principal says he should go to an average school. This is a great book to share with older students in a classroom. It is about finding your way and changing yourself for the good.
June 4, 2010
A fantastic wrap-up to a terrific series. Hank Zipzer is realistic & very endearing in a way kids couldn't help but relate to. An excellent & positive portrayal of learning differences.
November 1, 2012
I bought this book for my Granddaughter, it was a fun book for the younger kids.
December 9, 2012
Hank is not going to the same middle school as his best friend! J.M.
February 26, 2014
2012.1.26 27120words
August 29, 2014
Touching!
April 8, 2015
I love the hank zipzer series. Cried at the end
Read
May 27, 2016Love his optimism. Well written. Lots of fun.
February 19, 2017
Cute story, excellent for 3rd and 4th graders.
January 7, 2023
Hank Zipzer, the world's greatest underachiever, is back at it again. In this seventeenth book in the series, we again encounter Hank towards the end of a school year, and again Hank is in the position of not finishing. This time it is because he has failed to complete his community service requirement. The biggest difference between this book and earlier books in the series is that Hank starts to see something in himself, some potential for something other than failure. He realizes this with the help of Mr. Rock, the school music teacher who helps him explore this new side. Soon he is practicing monologues, improv, and characterization. He has set his goals on auditioning for the Professional School of Performing Arts. Yet, as usual, he needs to convince his father to let him try out, and if he gets it, to go. Hank is desperate to succeed as his two best friends are going to the Enhanced Science program, and he does not want to be left without them or something special himself.
These books are very well written. In the last year I have read or re-read 16 of the 17 in the series. They keep my attention, and are fun and enjoyable to read. The humour is age appropriate. As someone with dyslexia, these stories do an amazing job of capturing the experience of living with, and learning to deal with, learning disabilities. They are great reads just as books, but for young people with learning disabilities or people close to them, they will provide encouragement and support also.
These books are very well written. In the last year I have read or re-read 16 of the 17 in the series. They keep my attention, and are fun and enjoyable to read. The humour is age appropriate. As someone with dyslexia, these stories do an amazing job of capturing the experience of living with, and learning to deal with, learning disabilities. They are great reads just as books, but for young people with learning disabilities or people close to them, they will provide encouragement and support also.
January 20, 2024
A little strange for me to be completing a middle school book? I listened to Henry Winkler's Memoir... intrigued by his dyslexia and his (and Lin Oliver's) success with this series, I felt compelled to read at least one example. I have to tell you, it is excellent on many levels. Besides being an accurate account of the tribulations growing up with a learning disability and feeling "less", the book is also an excellent account of what is experienced growing up in Manhattan. "Hank" lives on the 10th floor, he meets his friends in the basement where they have a "fort" near the laundry room. He has many "friends" in the neighborhood, from a neighbor to the green grocer. The book paints a true picture of being part of a New York Neighborhood, and on this merit alone is a valuable example to children in other parts of the country or world who hear "stories" about New York, as opposed to the humanity one can feel living in this city.
Hank lives through his ordeals with charm and humor most adults would not be able to muster.
Kudos!
Hank lives through his ordeals with charm and humor most adults would not be able to muster.
Kudos!
March 29, 2022
Interesting story about a kid who struggles. It talks about all the mishaps he has based on school prejudice. Everyone thinks he's just a troubled kid who doesn't want to do what he's asked but it comes out that he just struggles with "the norm'
January 29, 2010
I suppose 4-6 graders might enjoy this book.
April 25, 2017
It's graduation time for Hank Zipzer and all his friends. 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. He struggles with staying focused and with his reading. Although he is very discouraged he finds an audition at a performing arts middle school, which helps him find his way.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews