other icons who left us include director garry marshall, 60 minutes correspondent morleyy safer, author harper lee, formee first lady and actress nancy reagan, zsa zsa gabore and boxing legend muhammed ali. ♪♪♪ >> reporter: in hollywood, michelle polino, fox news. >> unbelievable.. >> i don't know if it's becauseu people died -- a lot of peoplefo died very young this year or o mayb the year. it just seems like more bigoreig names.s. >> more pronounced this year. >> i'm also shocked david bowied died in january. i thought that was like twoas le months ago. i feel like this year has just been a whirlwind but i also feef like this has -- is this recordr in regards to like how manyan celebrities have passed away. aa >> online people are saying itt happens more frequently but it's just this year for some reasone maybe because they were youngere it feels like it's moreore pronounced as i said. sai i don't know.. >> record is the wrong word.or the number of deaths fromrom celebrity standpoint happened ii year. >> depressing.ress everyone wants 2016 to just be b over. over. >> yeah. one d

garry marshall -- rest his soul -- gave me my professional life. >> wow. you worked hard to maintain it and turn it into other things, including -- which i love -- your series of books that you have really dedicated to helping other kids who may have experienced something you did as a child. >> you know what? we make them laugh first. and then they say, there's somebody else who feels the way i do, who has trouble spelling the way i do. that book on the screen right now comes out in january. this one, "the foggy soggy compound" is out today. >> that's terrific. okay. you got a book -- i love the title of this coming out. "always watch out for the flying potato salad." >> yes. >> what does that mean? >> because little hank, he always get himself into trouble. he has made potato salad at his mother's deli. >> what's also with the foggy? >> the foggy soggy campout is, he has to write a poem about nature. his mother said let's go camp out. the father says i'm going to stay in the motel. so they are staying in a tent. his father's at the motel. a storm comes up

garry marshall, rest his soul, gave me my professional life. >> you worked hard to maintain it and turn it into other things, which i love a series of books to help other kids who may have experienced what you did as a child. >> we make them laugh first and then they say, there's somebody else who feels the way i do, has trouble spelling the way i do. that book on the screen comes out in january and this one, the foggy soggy camp-out is out today. >> you have a book, i love the title, always watch out for the flying potato salad. >> what does that mean? >> little hank, he always gets himself into trouble. he has made potato salad at his mother's delie. >> what about this? >> the foggy soggy camp-out, he has to write a his mother says, let's go camp out. the father says, i will stay in the motel. they are staying in a tent, his father is at the motel. a storm comes up, blows that tent right off its mooring, hank saves the day. >> oh. >> and has to write a poem about purple one of the only words in the english rhyme. >> interesting. >> there is no other word that rhymes with purple, smyrp