Meet Hank in fourth grade
Begin with Niagara Falls, Or Does It? to see how Hank turns a difficult writing assignment into a creative project.
Book Series · 17 Books
Hank Zipzer Books
In order from Niagara Falls, Or Does It? to A Brand-New Me!.
Seventeen funny school adventures follow inventive fourth grader Hank Zipzer as he navigates dyslexia, friendship, family, and the consequences of his big ideas.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read the Hank Zipzer Books
Read the seventeen original Hank Zipzer novels in numbered order, beginning with Niagara Falls, Or Does It? The school-year timeline and friendships carry forward even though each mishap has its own resolution.
Here’s Hank is a separate, easier companion series about the same character as a second grader. It is not part of this seventeen-book sequence.
Sources: Penguin Random House official Hank Zipzer order, Penguin Random House official Here’s Hank series.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
Hank has dyslexia and often feels embarrassed or frustrated by reading, writing, spelling, and testing. The stories emphasize creative problem-solving and supportive adults, while also showing school consequences and occasional teasing or bullying.
The comedy includes gross-out jokes, vomiting, underwear mishaps, spicy-food accidents, and impulsive plans that backfire. The tone stays warm and reassuring rather than mean-spirited.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$759
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
Niagara Falls, Or Does It?
A fourth-grader struggles to write an essay about his summer vacation.
144 pages· 21,517 words· Est. 3 hour read
$7.99Save 5%
Paperback
Summary: Hank loves science but dreads writing reports. To escape, he dismantles a cable box, hoping to slow down TV listings. Instead, he discovers his sister's iguana has laid eggs inside. Can Hank fix his project and avoid disaster?
In reading order
Hank Zipzer Series
17 books · Published 2001–2010
#1
Sale price
$759
Niagara Falls, Or Does It?
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
A fourth-grader struggles to write an essay about his summer vacation.
#2
Sale price
$759
I Got a D in Salami
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
A boy's science project goes awry when an iguana lays eggs in his cable box.
#3
Sale price
$759
Day of the Iguana
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2001
A boy's science project spirals into chaos with unexpected iguana eggs.
#4
Sale price
$674
The Zippity Zinger
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2004
A spicy mishap threatens recess. Can Hank fix his mistake?
#5
Sale price
$674
The Night I Flunked My Field Trip
Chapter Book · Ages 7–9 · 2004
A school trip turns disastrous when Hank becomes Captain's Assistant.
#6
Sale price
$799
Holy Enchilada!
Chapter Book · Ages 7–9 · 2004
A spicy mishap at a school luncheon threatens recess. Can the culprit fix it?
#7
Sale price
$759
Help! Somebody Get Me Out of Fourth Grade!
Chapter Book · Ages 3–8 · 2004
A boy's plan to skip a parent-teacher conference spirals into chaos. Can he avoid repeating fourth grade?
#8
Sale price
$674
Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up?
Chapter Book · 2005
Can summer school turn into an unexpected adventure?
#9
Sale price
$759
My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2005
Can Hank keep his Ping-Pong skills secret, or will he face ridicule at the championship?
#10
Sale price
$674
My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail
Chapter Book · 2006
Hank's haunted house prank backfires when his dog vanishes. Can he fix his Halloween mess?
#11
Sale price
$759
The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Fell Down
Chapter Book · 2007
Struggling in math, a student must ace his test to star in the school play.
#12
Sale price
$799
Barfing in the Backseat
Chapter Book · Ages 7–9 · 2007
Lost homework threatens a roller-coaster adventure. Can it be found in time?
#13
Sale price
$674
Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2007
Hank's world flips when he learns his mom is having a baby.
#14
Sale price
$799
The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2008
A school crush complicates Hank's life when he discovers she's related to his nemesis.
#15
Sale price
$799
A Tale of Two Tails
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2008
A dog show rivalry heats up. Who will win the prize?
#16
Sale price
$799
Dump Trucks and Dogsleds: I'm on My Way, Mom!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2009
A snowstorm traps Hank far from home as his baby brother arrives early.
#17
Sale price
$799
A Brand-New Me!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2010
Can Hank overcome his learning challenges to join his friends in middle school?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Hank Zipzer series?
There are 17 books in the Hank Zipzer series. It began with Niagara Falls, Or Does It? in 2001, and the newest book, A Brand-New Me!, was published in 2010.
What order should you read the Hank Zipzer books in?
Start with Niagara Falls, Or Does It? and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #17.
What ages are the Hank Zipzer books best for?
The series is best for ages 3–12, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
Which Hank Zipzer book is the longest?
The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk (Book #14) is the longest book in the series at 34,258 words (256 pages).
Which Hank Zipzer book is the shortest?
Niagara Falls, Or Does It? (Book #1) is the shortest at 21,517 words (144 pages).
The people
The Creatives Behind the Books
The people who bring Hank Zipzer to life.
Keep exploring
Similar Series
The Terrible Two
Ages 8–12
Cupcake Diaries
Ages 8–12
Missy Piggle-Wiggle
Ages 8–12
Peter and the Starcatchers
Ages 9–12
The Adventurer's Guide
Ages 8–12
My Fox
Ages 8–12
Royal Academy Rebels
Ages 8–12
Willow Falls
Ages 8–12