Comprehension Questions- Hank Zipzer My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard

My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard

By Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

Grades 3-5; Genre - Fiction; GRL R; AR pts: 4.0

Hank Zipzer doesn't feel great about his soccer skills, but learns with the help of Papa Pete that he really loves ping-pong.  The only trouble is his father and friends don't think ping-pong is a real sport.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. What grade is Hank Zipper in?  fifth grade   p. 1
  2. Why did Hank spit a spitball at the speaker?  It was making a loud screeching noise   p. 2
  3. Why doesn’t Hank like McKelty? He wears his food on his clothes and in his teeth, laughs like a hippo snorting   p. 3
  4. Why were the fifth graders so glad not to be in fourth grade anymore?  Leave the fourth grade teacher, Ms. Adolf   p. 7

Chapter 2

  1.  Who is Hank’s fifth grade teacher?   Ms. Adolf   p. 9

Chapter 3

  1. How did Hank feel when he found out Ms. Adolf was his teacher again?  Like dead rat meat   p. 10

Chapter 4

  1. What’s the Parade of Athletes?  an event that honors the many sports people play   p. 16
  2. What sport does Ms. Adolf participate in?  fencing   p. 17
  3. Describe Mr. Rock.  Music teacher, cool, soccer coach, winks at kids in the hall, taught summer school   p. 17

Chapter 5

  1. Tell me about Emily.  Hank’s sister, fourth grade, loves reptiles   p. 20
  2. Who ended up with the new teacher?  Emily, fourth grade   p. 20
  3. What is Nick McKelty’s nickname?  Nick the Tick   p. 25

Chapter 6

  1. Who kicked the ball that hit Ms. Adolf in the backside?  Nick   p. 30
  2. Why was Hank worried about the soccer tryouts?  He’s not very good/ doesn’t want to get picked last   p. 29

Chapter 7

  1. Where were the soccer tryouts held?  Central Park   p. 35
  2. Why does Hank feel he’s not good at sports?  His learning challenges make it hard for good hand- eye coordination   p. 37
  3. What is the name of Hank’s soccer team?  Green Hornets   p. 37

Chapter 8

  1. What is a motivational speech?   A speech to help give someone the desire to win and do their best   p. 47
  2. What did Hank think about while his soccer coach was giving their team a motivational speech?  Random things, not what the coach was talking about   p. 47

Chapter 9

  1. Where does Hank’s mom work?  Crunchy Pickle deli  p. 49
  2. What’s Hank’s favorite snack Papa Pete gives him?  a giant dill pickle   p. 53
  3. Why does Hank not like the word “focus”?  it is difficult for him to do   p. 55

Chapter 10

  1. What is an Indian summer?  Summer days are warmer than usual     p. 61
  2. What did Papa Pete do when Hank didn’t like the pickle he gave him?   traded him his own pickle   p. 62
  3. What sport did Papa Peter begin that he thought Hank might like?  ping-pong   p. 63   

Chapter 11

  1. Why does Hank think fifth grade is more difficult than fourth grade?  Longer vocabulary words, math problems are longer, recess is shorter   p. 65

Chapter 12

  1. How do you know Hank was trying to learn and do better at soccer practice?  He kicked the ball and ran, he tried to dribble around the cone  p. 66

Chapter 13

  1. What did Papa Peter buy Hank on the way to the ping-pong club to help him feel better?  Hot dog   p. 67
  2. What kinds of people play ping-pong?  Young/old, big/ little, everyone   p. 71
  3. Who is Sam Chin?  Kindergartener at Hank’s school, son of the owner of the club   p. 72

Chapter 14

  1. How does Hank feel about ping-pong when he first tries to play?  Doesn’t like it   p. 76

Chapter 15

  1. How many ways are there to hold a ping-pong paddle?  Two   p. 77
  2. What were Mr. Chin’s three C’s of ping-pong?  Concentration, Control, Confidence   p. 80
  3. How did Hank feel about ping-pong when he began to play?  Loved it   p. 80
  4. Why did Mr. Chin give Hank a paddle and two ping-pong balls?  To help him practice at home on the wall and get more comfortable   p. 82

Chapter 16

  1. What is hand-eye coordination?  When your hand and eyes work together to do something   p. 84
  2. What was Kathleen the iguana’s reaction to Hank hitting the ping-pong ball on the wall?  Eyelids were rapidly blinking  p. 86
  3. What did Hank’s dad say when Hank tried to tell him ping-pong was a sport?  It’s a hobby   p. 87

Chapter 17

  1. What did Hank take with him to the dentist?  His ping-pong paddle   p. 90
  2. How did Hank feel when Dr. Crumbworthy put his name and his new excitement for ping-pong on the electronic banner in his office?  Excited   p. 93

Chapter 18

  1. How did Hank’s friends feel about ping-pong?  Weren’t impressed, thought it was for old people  p. 99
  2. Why doesn’t Hank want Sam to tell his friends that he plays ping-pong?  He doesn’t want to get teased   p. 102

Chapter 19

  1. Why was Hank worried about Nick going to the dentist office?  He didn’t want him to the electronic banner with his name on it   p. 104
  2. After Ms. Adolf caught Hank passing a note to Joelle, why was he excited to go to the principal’s office?   He would be able to use the phone   p. 108
  3. What did Hank promise he would do if Dr. Crumbworthy changed the sign about him?  floss five times a day   p. 110

Chapter 20

  1. Why doesn’t Hank want to tell Frank and Ashley that he plays ping-pong?  Doesn’t want to get teased/ doesn’t want them to play it since they would be good and leave him in the dust   p. 113
  2. How did the people in the Ping-Pong Emporium react when Hank walked in?  happy to see him, asked him to play   p. 114

Chapter 21

  1. Why did Papa Pete and Hank stop for pizza every day on the way to the Ping-Pong Emporium?  They would be fueling up for their workout at ping-pong   p. 115
  2. Why didn’t Hank give up when playing ping-pong got hard?  He loved it   p. 117
  3. How was playing ping-pong helping Hank?  It made him feel great, learned to concentrate   p. 118

Chapter 22

  1. How had Hank been irresponsible to his soccer coach?  He hadn’t showed up for practice   p. 122
  2. How does Hank’s dad feel about Hank missing soccer practice and playing ping-pong?  Disappointed/ upset   p. 124
  3. Why can’t Hank participate in the Parade of Athletes at the school?  he missed the sign-ups  p. 125

Chapter 23

  1. Why is Robert dressed in a baby blue colored tuxedo?  He’s the emcee for the Parade of Athletes   p. 128
  2. When Hank told his friends that he’s been playing ping-pong how do they react?  They thought it was great   p. 132
  3. What did Hank ask his friends to do about his ping-pong career?  Keep it a secret   p. 134

Chapter 24

  1. Before the ceremony began, how did Hank feel that he hadn't signed up?  Not good   p. 137
  2. When it was time for Sam to do his demonstration of ping-pong, how was he feeling?  Upset/scared   p. 145
  3. When Nick kept harassing Sam during the ceremony, what did Ms. Adolf do?  Kick him out of the gym   p. 146
  4. Why did Ms. Adolf kick Nick out of the gym?  He didn’t have good sportsmanship   p. 146

Chapter 25

  1. What demonstration did Ashley and Frankie do for the ceremony?  Soccer   p. 149
  2. What did Sam want Hank to do during the ceremony?  Play ping-pong with him   p. 151
  3. Why did Sam want Hank to play with him? they wouldn’t be as scared to play with each other   p. 151

Chapter 26

  1. How did Hank play when he and Sam played ping-pong for the ceremony?  Really well   p. 153
  2. What did Winston Chin want Hank to show everyone during the ceremony?  All of the cool moves he could do   p. 154
  3. How did Hank feel when Nick still felt ping-pong was for subhumans even after he saw Hank play?  Hank didn’t care   p. 158