My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail

Hank Zipzer #10

by Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver

On Halloween day, Hank comes to school dressed in what he thinks is the perfect costume-a table in an Italian restaurant. Nick McKelty, the resident school bully (dressed in a total blood and guts costume), thinks Hank's costume is wimpy and that Hank wouldn't know how to be scary and gross if his life depended on it! So Hank decides to create the scariest haunted house ever and invite McKelty over to show him what scary really is. The only problem is that Hank's dog, Cheerio, is scared of Hank's haunted house. So scared, in fact, that when Hank tries to find him, he's nowhere in sight! Have Hank's Halloween hijinks gone too far?

Genres: Childrens, Halloween, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Holiday

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

About the author

Henry 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.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Halloween read!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat is about a 5th grade boy named Hank. In the beginning of the story Hank tells his two best friends that he is going to go to the Halloween Parade dressed as a table in a fancy Italian restraurant. Frankie and Ashley both try to talk Hank out of it but Hank is determined to be original. Hank talks to the reader throughout the story which really helps pull the reader into the story. Hank lets us know that he has learning challenges. As you read the story you see Hank struggle with keeping his focus, spelling, and reading. At the Halloween party a kid named Nick McKelty makes fun of Hank and Hank's 4th grade sister Emily. Hank's mind goes into overdrive as he plans for revenge. Hank's Papa Pete (his grandfather) helps him come up with an idea that is very creative and bound to put Nick McKelty back in his place. You'll have to read the book to figure out why Hank's dog Cheerio is a scaredy-cat. Very quick read.

Hank: Struggles with reading and spelling, has a desire to be proud of his mind that usually causes challenges, very creative and original, major Mets fan
Frank: Hank's best friend who has a real spooky howl, has been best friends with Hank all his life even though he's a big Yankees fan
Ashley: Hank's other best friend of Chinese descent, very supportive
Nick McKnelty: The fifth grade bully who needs to be put in his place
Cheerio: Hank's dachund dog who he loves very much
Papa Pete: Understands Hank's learning challenges and teaches Hank to be proud of himself no matter what weaknesses Hank has
Emily: Hank's 4th grade sister who is also very original, has a pet iguana (Kathy) that Hank swears she can really communicate with
Robert: Emily's nerdy skinny boyfriend
Hank's Dad: Crossword puzzle whiz, Hank knows he definetly didn't get his father's brain with numbers or letters
Hank's Mom: Health food nut, admires creativity even if it makes a mess

[Andrew]

Hank is in middle school and thinks he has the best costume of the year. Hank decides to dress up as italian resturant table. School bully Nick McKelty Started making fun of his costume. Thats when he got the idea of making a haunted house to scare the pants off of Nick. Before the haunted house was finished his grampa left. After the whole haunted house was done Nick came. First nick thoght it was lame than he thought that it was good but it wasnt scaring him. The when the fack spider landed on his head he was scared out of his pants. When Nick left screaming Hank went looking for his dog {Cheerio} because his grampa said that they get scared of haunted houses. HAnk couldnt find him anywhere. his dad went on the streets looking for him while Hank,his friends ,and his mom went looking in the condo apartments asking people if they have seen him. When they finished his grampa came back. that is when they found out that he took Cherio to a friends house while he had the haunted house going. later they went to go get Cherio and selebrated that they found cherio and scared nick McKelty.

[Sheryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this I had to buy it, I mean come on 'Fonzie' wrote it. It hasn't been issued yet, so I thought I'd better read it. I certainly got more than a few laughs, and I think it would be a great book to read aloud to a class. So many kids are battling with various learning disorders and they don't need to be ostracized. Thanks Henry ;)

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank can't wait for Halloween. He's got this amazing idea for a costume......... a table cloth at a aItalian resturant. Even his bestfriends tell him that it isnt a good idea. But he does so anyway. So when the school bully teases Hank, Hank decides to put the trick in trick-or -treat for Nick.

[10-11 Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hank Zippzer is a great book writer for kids. All of his short books like this are always quick and easy to read. I always pick up one of his books whenever I don't know what to get!
I read this just before halloween and it was great!

[Acton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book with a smile on my face. this book was funny and tells a good story. in the book he makes an awesome haunted house, when i was reading it i wished i had made it. i recomend this book for all ages!

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Danny chose this as his reading incentive award, because of the skeleton on the cover. It's his first chapter book, and we haven't gotten all the way through it. Mom doesn't care for some of the language.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a lovely story which includes the themes of friendship, neighbors, bullies, pet ownership, family, and learning differences. I highly recommend it. As an adult, I enjoyed the story myself. I recommend it for children ages 8 and older.

[Brooklyn Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book by Winkler. It was hilarious and very detailed especially since Hank turned his apartment into a,"house of terror" just to scare a bully and many surprises that come without the haunted apartment.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Hank Zipzer hit book

Read this with my dyslexic group of students. They love the humor in these books and more importantly reading about another student who struggles like they do. On to the next one. All the Hank books are great!

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank continues to be fun, funny, & appealing.

[Hamzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice!!!!!

[Marblesaurus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again I really enjoyed Hank's world. And what a nice grandpa he has!

[Yasuko · Rating 2 out of 5]

2011.12.19 25503words

[absoluteknowergmail.com]

Very good

Always good
Sooooooo
Oslososlso
Lsksisksk
Lsllslslslls to the point of view of a new one for me the happiest day of school

[Jodie Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description on this book is actually wrong. It's a Halloween book and it was very funny.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cure addition to the Hank Zipzer saga and finding strength in his weaknesses; I am continuing to appreciate the humanity of this kid and how his struggles with learning make him only more relatable. In this installment, Hank is challenged by the insufferable bully Nick McKelty and looks for a way in which he can seek revenge. One thing he knows about himself is that, although his brain may not learn and work in the same way as others, he certainly knows how to put on a haunted house. While in the mad dash to construct this haunted house, Hank misses a critical set of information that causes problems for him and losing Cheerio, his dachshund, as a result of his learning challenges. This point highlights the quick decision making and problems with missed information that occurs when embarrassment overtakes the reminder to gather all information at hand, not to mention becoming distracted with the excitement of the activities in front of him. I did appreciate this story and liked the new twist on discussing his reading challenges impacting his sense of shame and guilt at the subsequent losing of his dog (thankfully, only temporarily), and the vindication he receives in finding his dog and succeeding with his haunted house. I realize that, in reality, this would not necessarily be the case. Aside from the incredible haste in which this haunted house was put together (about 3 hours), I did find this one somewhat less realistic than the others I have read, and also a little overly cheerful for the ending. I appreciate that these stories are covering different facets of learning difficulties and problems commonly faced by these kiddos and still a relatable character, even with these stretches in storytelling.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this adventure Hank finally has had enough of Nick McKelty. The school bully has gone too far. During the school Halloween Parade, Nick mocks a kid in kindergarten, and makes everybody laugh at Hank but the topper is he mocks Hank's younger sister and her friend Robert. With the help of grandfather he comes up with a plan to create a haunted house and get revenge on McKelty.

With the help of his best friends Ashley and Frankie, they set about transforming the family living room into a haunted house of horrors. They test it on two other schoolmates and McKelty arrives just before their parents close up shop. But will their plans and work really scare the school bully? You need to read this to find out.

This is a great series about a young boy with a learning disability. It really captures the experiences of someone with those struggles. My only complaint about this book is the first inconsistency in the series and it is a big one. On p.15 Hank says his books have never gone above the C's range, yet in book 7, Summer School? What Genius Thought That Up?, he achieves an A+ for his presentation. He says his grades have only ever traveled to C-ville and parts south. It is a great line but doesn't match the other books. It's a little disappointing but not enough to stop me reading the book or the series.

[Debra Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires and Mcnalty

Revenge is best served on a cold dish! Sometimes a bully gets his
just deserts. When they do is it ever so sweet. But Hank has learned
a lesson about revenge too. He also learns how to accept himself
as well. Along with learning his response ability first gos to his dog
Cheerios. But all in all Hank his family and best friends get to watch
and enjoy Mcnalty fear and watch him running away. Yes this was a great Halloween after all. Even though they didn’t get to Trick or Treat. After all it’s not every day you get to teach a bully a awesome
lesson, one he won’t forget for a long time. A great and funny read.
Debra H.

[Mindy Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Amy Ganci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!

I like all the Hank books but this was was particularly fun because of the Halloween theme and the fact that they finally got back at Nick McKelty.

[Bada Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow!! I need this book its sounds really interesting.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took a while to get into this one, but 2/3 of the way through I was laughing so hard! The first half kind of sets the stage but the second half is where it really gets going.
I love this series and not only because I love Henry Winkler to pieces. They're funny, thoughtful, creative and fun. There are moments like in this book, where I want to hug Hank after all he's been through. He's a wonderful character, as is everyone else in this series.
This book isn't scary per say, but it might scare some younger kids. It's perfect for Halloween.
I loved it!