Video: Happy days as the Fonz books date in South Yorkshire

But now Henry Winkler is helping to inspire a generation that may never even have heard of Fonzie.

The 67-year-old came to Yorkshire yesterday as part of a tour of schools across the country in a bid to help pupils overcome any learning difficulties they may face.

The actor-turned-author was 31 when he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Now he has turned his story into the inspiration for a series of children’s books which have sold four million copies and are about to become a television series.

Hank Zipzer, the World’s Greatest Underachiever, has been co-written by Winkler and describes a boy’s struggle with dyslexia.

What started as an idea that was suggested too him has now become a long running series with more than 20 books.

Yesterday he read passages to pupils at both Thrybergh School and Sports College, in Rotherham, and Townfield Primary in Doncaster as part of the My Way national tour.

His message to the pupils was simple. “I know that every single one of you has greatness inside you. I know it for a fact. Your job now is to get it out into the world as your gift.”

He told the Yorkshire Post he hoped children who listened to this talk would realise that they were each brilliant “no matter how they learn”.

He said: “How you learn is 
nothing to do with how smart you are.

“School was unbelievably hard for me. Teachers didn’t know what dyslexia was at that time.

“I got a bad grade in everything but lunch. I was told I was stupid lazy and not living up to my potential most of my life.

“When you are younger and you’re told that you believe it.

“Just because we learn differently does not mean that we are not incredibly smart human beings.

“That is something that I need every child to understand.”

He said that discovering he was dyslexic at 31 had initially made him angry.

“First of all I was angry because you realise that everything you went through – all the arguments and the punishments – were for naught.”

Now he is looking to help children overcome any learning difficulties they have.

He is touring schools in England for the eighth time in partnership with the national weekly children’s newspaper First News and the Achievement for All 3As charity.

The message of the campaign is “the things that make us different make us special”.

Winkler, who became a legend for his role as The Fonz – Arthur Fonzarelli in Happy Days, addressed pupils at both South Yorkshire schools before taking children’s questions and signing copies of his books for pupils and parents.

During his trip to Thrybergh students asked him whether he had flown in on a private jet, what was it like being famous and whether people had supported him when he tried to become an actor.

Throughout his speeches at both schools pupils were gripped by his performance.

The business manager at Townfield Primary, Emma Morris, said: “He was introduced by two mini Fonzies, which seemed to go down well.

“He told pupils a little bit about his background, his career and how he discovered he was dyslexic.

“He is really great with children, great at talking to them at their level. He told the children that every child is great and that every child can succeed.

“The children really enjoyed it. He is very inspirational.”

He told the Yorkshire Post he felt lucky being able to meet children across the country, and added: “It is amazing that I get to do this with my life and get to meet all these beautiful children.

“What has been amazing is how we can identify with each other. It doesn’t matter that I am from a different country or that I am so much older I find that my story and their stories coincide.”

He has had offers to tour schools in Italy and Australia but has only done schools in the UK so far. He said he had never expected his books to be such a success describing them as his proudest achievement after his children. Pupils at the two South Yorkshire school were also told about a new book which he has written called Ghost Buddy.

Winkler said the ghost character in the book behaved in a similar way to Fonzie.

Commenting on First News’s involvement in the tour, its editor Nicky Cox said: “My Way wants every child to get the education they deserve. Some states in America decide how many prison cells to build based on reading tests in the fourth grade – that means kids are being written off at eight years old.

“This shows the damaging effects of learning difficulties affect children’s behaviour, their self esteem and their feelings of worth that go far beyond reading.

“The First News My Way campaign is showing children that just because they learn differently they can succeed at whatever they want in life.”