The Day of the Iguana #3 (Hank Zipzer) [Hardcover]

Henry Winkler (Author), Lin Oliver (Author), Carol Heyer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Hank Zipzer

Hank Zipzer wants to be number one, not the one who always gets it wrong. He is a likeable, struggling hero who readers will adore.It's science-project time, which is bad news for Hank Zipzer. He loves science and he loves doing experiments, but writing a report? No way! Finally he comes up with the perfect project - until his sister's pet iguana gets in the way...Read by the author, Henry Winkler. The running time is 2 hours 36 minutes on 2 CDs.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5--The third entry in the series explores friendship, forgiveness, understanding, and honesty. Hank promises to videotape an obscure science fiction movie for Frankie if the other boy will perform in his magic show. Unfortunately, the program guide on the television moves too quickly for Hank, and he accidentally tapes the wrong show, leaving his friend angry and disappointed. Hank must come up with a science experiment topic, and his mistake prompts him to try and invent a slow-scrolling TV channel guide for less-skilled readers. He dismantles his family's cable box and finds it difficult to reassemble. When he isn't paying attention, his sister's iguana moves into it and refuses to leave. In the end, Hank's increasingly elaborate schemes, his implied learning disability, and the iguana's eggs are all exposed. The wordy, first-person narration sometimes gets in the way of an already meandering story. Everything that happens is plausible enough, and Hank is a likable protagonist with good intentions. However, the authors frequently rely on his narrative role to take facile storytelling shortcuts and convey heavy-handed messages. "That's what you call true friendship," he unnecessarily explains after a simple gesture of kindness. Still, this child-friendly title is by no means the worst recent contribution to the celebrity children's book canon.--Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
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From the Inside Flap

It's science-project time in Ms. Adolf's class, and Hank is in the doldrums. He loves science--the experiments, the labs, the equipment--but he hates the report part--the hypothesis, the methodology, the conclusions. Hank turns to TV to take his mind off things, which becomes another annoyance when the program directory scrolls by too quickly for Hank to know what's on when. So he decides to take apart the cable box to try slowing down the crawl. And it'll make a great science project, too! But Hank wasn't counting on his sister Emily's iguana laying eighteen eggs in the disassembled cable box!

How's Hank going to get out of this one? --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap; First Edition edition (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448432889
• ISBN-13: 978-0448432885
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,659,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great series for boys!, July 16, 2005

By 

Carolyn Rampone "Carolyn D'Amico Rampone" (Plantation, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Day of the Iguana (Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever #3) (Paperback)

The way I see it, any book that can keep a 10 year old boy away from his video games, gets 5 stars and then some. "Day of the Iguana" and the other eight books will do for boys what "The Babysitters Club" did for girls. I've been waiting a long time for something boys can relate to other than "Yu Gi Oh" comic books and "Captain Underpants." Henry Winkler has done that with Hank Zipzer and his friends, he's made reading fun for boys. You can count on Hank getting himself in a situation that would be best handled being straightforward and you can count on him going out of his way being anything but. The best part is watching you kid choose Hank over the TV. Parents all over will understand just what an accomplishment that is.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Day of the Iguana, May 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Day of the Iguana (Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever #3) (Paperback)

This is one of the best children's books I have read in a long time. I read it to my 4th grade class and they didn't want me to put it down. I don't know a kid that can't identify with Hank Zipzer in one way or another. It was very easy to read and quite enjoyable. My class gives it 44 thumbs up. Keep up the good work Henry Winkler.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Day of the Iguana, October 15, 2004

By 

D the surfer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Day of the Iguana (Hank Zipzer: The World's Greatest Underachiever #3) (Paperback)

When my mom gave me this book for Christmas I didn't really want to read it. Once I found it on my book shelf and started reading it I couldn't put it down. After I finished the book it was so funny and great that I wanted to read it again. I give this book five stars.