Hank's best friends go out for basketball, so he does, too--the problem is Hank is terrible at basketball. Thankfully, "Dr. Dunk," Hank's dad, has his back.
The pressure is on when Hank Zipzer is chosen as pitcher for the softball team at Public School 87's annual Olympiad, the most anticipated day of the school year.
Hank Zipzer, who loves to make lists, shares lists from previous titles in the series, along with new ones, grouped under such topics as himself, his family, school, friends, and pets, and suggests topics for lists for the reader to create.
Hank must decide whether to attend tae kwon do or an after school reading program run by his favorite teacher, and when he meets an interesting girl at "Reading Gym," he gets into a complicated situation that even has him lying to his father.
Book 8: "We Love Nature Day" is fast approaching, and everyone in Hank's class gets to write and perform a poem. One problem: Hank has no idea where to start. Luckily his mom has a great idea--the family will go camping. Out in nature, Hank will be able to find plenty of inspiration. But when a rainstorm threatens to ruin their night, it's up to Hank to make sure the night doesn't turn into a soggy, foggy failure.
Hoping to land the lead in the class play, Hank freezes during his audition and is only able to buzz like a fly, inspiring his teacher to create a special role for him as a silent bookmark that saves the show when a rival suffers an attack of stage fright.
Challenged to enter the same cooking contest as his know-it-all chef cousin, Hank becomes an unexpected finalist and makes surprising discoveries about his cousin while frantically preparing for the final cook-off.
"While accompanying his mother at the deli, Hank suffers a series of embarrassing accidents that cause teachers visiting the deli to go hungry, a situation that compels him to express his appreciation for his teachers' hard work"--OCLC.
