The Secret Life of a Ping-Pong Wizard

January 1, 2006
Gr. 3-5. In the ninth book in the Hank Zipzer series, the self-styled "world's greatest underachiever" is trying yet again to please his father and keep the class bully at bay. The school's Parade of Athletes is drawing near, and Hank just wants to opt out. His learning disabilities make eye-hand coordination difficult, which causes him no end of embarrassment. It's not until Grandpa Pete introduces the fifth-grader to ping-pong that he finally discovers that sports can be fun. The Hank books haven't the depth of Jack Gantos' Joey Pigza novels, but they're fun without being overly messagey, and the success experience will speak to numerous readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2006
The ninth Hank Zipzer book is structured like a sitcom episode with one extreme scene after another. When his first soccer practice is a flop, Hank switches to table tennis but is afraid to reveal his skill at a "wimpy sport." Although the dialogue is snappy, the humor relies heavily on insults and the conclusion is contrived.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)