From the authors of the bestselling Hank Zipzer series

HERE’S HANK

A new children’s book series

by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Actor, director and producer Henry Winkler, perhaps best known for his role as The Fonz on Happy Days, has been entertaining audiences for thirty years. Henry is also the bestselling co-author, with Lin Oliver, of the popular children’s book series Hank Zipzer, which chronicles the hilarious adventures of a boy struggling to make it through 4th grade. Henry has visited classrooms around the world to speak about the series, which was inspired by his own learning challenges with dyslexia.

On February 6th, Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver will launch a new series starring a younger, 2nd grade Hank, entitled HERE’S HANK (Grosset & Dunlap; ages 6-8). Hank is a kid who doesn’t try to be funny, but somehow always manages to make the other kids laugh. He's pretty bad at memorizing stuff, and spelling is his worst subject. (But so are math and reading!) The books feature an easy-to-read font designed especially for dyslexic readers.

Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver are passionate about connecting with kids and encouraging them to succeed. Winkler’s own challenges with learning – the diagnosis of dyslexia came when he was 30 – led him to send this message to children coping with their own learning difficulties: “no matter how you learn, it has nothing to do with your brilliance. You have greatness inside of you.”

HERE’S HANK will launch with two books:

In the first book in this new series, BOOKMARKS ARE PEOPLE TOO! (February 6, 2014; Grosset & Dunlap; 978-0448482392; $14.99; Ages 6-8), Hank's class is putting on a play, and Hank wants the lead part: Aqua Fly. But he freezes in his audition and can only buzz like a fly. His teacher creates a special part for Hank, a silent bookmark. This may seem like an insignificant role, but when his enemy, Nick McKelty, freezes during the performance, it's up to Hank to save the play!

In book 2, A SHORT TALE ABOUT A LONG DOG, Hank has finally persuaded his dad to get the family a dog, and Hank couldn't be more excited! Mesmerized by a little wiener dog chasing his tail (making him look like a Cheerio) at the animal shelter, Hank declares him to be the new Zipzer dog. But when Cheerio gets loose in the park, Mr. Zipzer furiously announces that the dog must go. Can Hank convince his father that he wasn't the one who let Cheerio off his leash, or will he really lose his new pet and best friend? 

Henry Winkler is an actor, producer, and director, and he speaks publicly all over the world. In addition, he has a star on the Hollywood Boulevard, was awarded an honorary Order of the British Empire, and the jacket he wore as the Fonz hangs in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. But if you asked him what he was proudest of, he would say, "Writing the Hank Zipzer books with my partner, Lin Oliver," He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Stacey. They have three children named Jed, Zoe, and Max, and two dogs named Monty and Charlotte. Charlotte catches a ball so well that she could definitely play outfield for the New York Mets.

Lin Oliver is a writer and producer of movies, book, and television series for children and families. She has written more than twenty-five novels for children and one hundred episodes of television. She is cofounder and executive director of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, an international organization of twenty thousand authors and illustrators of children's books. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan. They have three sons named Theo, Ollie, and Cole. She loves tuna melts, curious kids, any sport that involves a racket and children's book writers everywhere.

HERE’S HANK: Bookmarks are People Too

February 6, 2014; Grosset & Dunlap; Ages 6-8

Hardcover: 978-0-448-48239-2; $14.99

Paperback; 978-0-448-47997-2; $4.99

HERE’S HANK: A Short Tale About a Long Dog

February 6, 2014; Grosset & Dunlap; Ages 6-8

Hardcover: 978-0-448-48240-8; $14.99

Paperback: 978-0-448-47998-9; $4.99