Nightstand

By Piper Jones Castillo
Published August 19, 2007

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Henry Winkler has a new generation of fans, not for the Fonz but for his 12 novels about Hank Zipzer, a rascally middle-schooler. "I was Hank. I was constantly in trouble in school," says Winkler.

What is on your nightstand?

I read all Daniel Silva's books. His newest, Secret Servant, is great.

I picture the Fonz reading Mad magazine, but what did Henry Winkler read while growing up?

Actually, I was even on the cover of Mad in the '70s, but I didn't read Mad. . . . I wasn't a reader as a kid.

When did you become interested?

My wife and I were working with our son, who had learning problems. That's when I realized I had dyslexia. When my agent told me I should write about my life, I said, "I can't do that. I'm stupid."

If you could rewind, would you still call yourself stupid?

Nope. . . . That's what I tell kids Hank is all about. You don't know what greatness you have inside you until you try.

Piper Jones Castillo, Times staff writer