Boys’ Life short story by Henry Winkler becoming next Here’s Hank novel

henry-winklerPerfectamundo!

A short story by Henry Winkler, originally published in the August 2016 edition of Boys’ Life magazine, is becoming the basis for the next Here’s Hank novel.

The Happy Days star announced last week on Twitter that he and co-author Lin Oliver had so much fun writing the BL exclusive short story “Robot on the Loose” that they’re making it their next full-length novel.

Don’t believe me? Get the news straight from “The Fonz” himself:

Since 2003, the Here’s Hank series has entertained young readers with stories about Hank Zipzer, a fourth-grader who is dyslexic. Winkler also has dyslexia, and the novels are based on some of his own experiences living with this learning challenge.

Winkler told Parents magazine that he remembers getting Boys’ Life as a Cub Scout, but because of his dyslexia he wasn’t fully able to enjoy the magazine.

“I couldn’t read it at the time, and now here I am writing for them!” he says.

Boys’ Life and literacy

Winkler’s comment brings up a great point about the value of Boys’ Life in fostering reading skills. The magazine’s unofficial literacy motto — “today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders” — has been proven again and again.

Three things we know to be true:

  1. Boys lag behind girls when it comes to reading level.
  2. Families crave fun, age-appropriate reading content for boys.
  3. BL has a magazine full of guy-tested, parent-approved content that’s delivered to your mailbox every month.

If a boy is reading — whether it’s fiction or jokes or true tales of Scouting adventures — he is learning.

And what can he read when he’s finished with his copy of Boys’ LifeHere are 100 books for boys.

Read ‘Robot on the Loose’

Read Henry Winkler’s short story “Robot on the Loose” on the BL website or in the magazine’s new app for smartphones and tablets.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.