A good early chapter book series for kids that love good-hearted class clowns. Bonus points for using a font designed with dyslexic kids in mind.

Hank is going to be involved in his class play, but can't seem to remember his lines. He continued to practice, but still got nervous when it came for him to recite his lines. He didn't get a speaking part, but ended up still getting a part in the play and overall saved the day with an incident that came about during the play.

I picked this up to read for my upcoming book club. The popular Hank Zipzer chapter book series branched out into a younger, beginning chapter series featuring Hank as a 2nd grader.

Hank is ready to tackle second grade. He's got a great teacher, a best friend, and he loves to make people laugh. Unfortunately, there are a few other things that aren't so great - like his reading, writing, math....well, school stuff in general. Hank is super excited when his teacher announced a school play but worried when he finds out that they have to read and memorize the script.

Hank meets a new friend, Ashley, works with his original friend, Frankie, has encounters with the class bully, issues with his father over his problems in school, but ultimately uses his ability to make people laugh to come out on top.

There are a few black and white, quirky illustrations and the book uses a font specifically designed for dyslexic and beginning readers.

Verdict: Fans of Roscoe Riley, Horrible Harry, and other good-hearted class clowns will enjoy this easier series that features a relatable boy with a sense of humor and academic struggles.

ISBN: 9780448479972; Published 2014 by Grosset & Dunlap; Purchased for the library