Take a Trip with Hank Zipzer

• What: Barfing in the Back Seat book
• When: 8 to 12 years
• Why: Funny and entertaining
• Where: Amazon

If your family has a road trip looming on the horizon, consider letting your kids enjoy the trials and tribulations of Barfing in the Back Seat by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver.

Barfing in the Back Seat: Hank Zipzer Book #12 on Amazon

Twelve-year-old Hank takes to the road during his school’s winter break, heading towards the Grand National Crossword Puzzle Championship Tournament. But when his sister picks a lizard as her companion, and his teacher assigns him homework over the break, things go from bad to worse. This chapter book works best either as a read aloud for younger kids, or for older students ready for fewer illustrations and large text. With 27 chapters and about 150  pages, it can keep kids reading enthralled with the various stops and starts as Hank’s family travels from New York to North Carolina and back.

If you like Hank’s zippy attitude, you can check out the rest of the series from Winkler and Oliver about this zany character who embraces his learning differences. With 17 books to choose from, any kid can find a reason to enjoy this collection of books, which served as the basis for the British-adapted television series by the same name.

Go along for the adventure as this story tells all about the ups and downs of taking your family on the road from a kid’s perspective. And rest assured, your road trip should be much less memorable, even if you bring a lizard with you.