series ar c 2: the rowthyears
ARC 2: GROWTH YEARS
Books 7-12 | Ages 9-10
Harold expands his world through friendship, empathy, resilience, and courage. He discovers what true connection looks like.
BOOK 7: MURPHY'S MYSTERY PROBLEM
Theme: Loyalty & True Friendship
Murphy is acting strangely withdrawn, secretive, avoiding Harold. Harold could gossip about it. He could demand to know what's wrong. Instead, he stays loyal. He shows up. He listens without judgment. He gives Murphy space while making it clear he's there. When Murphy finally opens-up (he's struggling with his parents' arguing), Harold becomes the friend Murphy needed. This book teaches that true friendship means showing up even when it's awkward, and that loyalty sometimes means respecting someone's privacy while they figure things out.
What Harold Learns: Real friends show up. Real friends listen. Real friends don't need to know everything to be present.
Key Scene: Murphy breaking down and realizing Harold already knew something was wrong—and never asked, just waited.
Character Growth: Harold learns that loyalty is expressed through presence, not pressure.
Sneak Peek: "Something's wrong with Murphy. Harold doesn't know what. But he knows how to be a real friend."
BOOK 8: THE COURAGE CHALLENGE
Theme: Courage & Facing Fears
Harold is terrified of public speaking. When his class has to present book reports, Harold's anxiety goes through the roof. He considers every excuse to get out of it. But Mrs. Patterson believes in him, and Harold discovers that courage isn't the absence of fear—it's doing the thing despite being scared. His presentation is imperfect. His voice shakes. But he does it. And the relief and pride he feels afterward? Unforgettable.
What Harold Learns: Courage means doing hard things even when you're scared. Fear is normal. Staying silent isn't.
Key Scene: Harold stepping up to the podium, heart pounding, mouth dry, doing it anyway.
Character Growth: Harold learns that bravery is a choice, not a feeling.
Sneak Peek: "Harold is terrified of public speaking. What happens when he does it anyway will surprise him."
BOOK 9: THE RESILIENCE RESET
Theme: Bouncing Back & Learning from Failure
Harold's art project gets a bad grade. He's devastated. His first instinct is to never try art again. But through conversations with his art teacher and his parents, Harold learns that failure isn't final—it's feedback. One bad grade doesn't mean he's bad at art. It means he needs to try a different approach. Resilience means bouncing back, adjusting, and trying again.
What Harold Learns: You don't fail until you stop trying. Every setback is a setup for a comeback.
Key Scene: Harold receiving his grade and feeling like his world is ending, then slowly realizing it isn't.
Character Growth: Harold develops the ability to learn from failure instead of being defined by it.
Sneak Peek: "One bad grade. One moment of complete despair. One discovery about what resilience really means."
BOOK 10: SPIKE'S SPECIAL SKILL
Theme: Seeing Others' Strengths
Harold is frustrated with Spike. The dog is energetic, mischievous, and impossible to control. But then Harold realizes—Spike's "problem" behaviours are actually his greatest strengths. That energy? Perfect for search and rescue work. That curiosity? That's how he finds things. Harold learns that different isn't wrong—it's just different. What looks like a flaw might, actually-be a strength waiting for the right context.
What Harold Learns: Everyone (and every dog) has unique strengths. Sometimes you just must look for them.
Key Scene: Spike helping find a lost child because of his unstoppable energy and tracking ability.
Character Growth: Harold develops the ability to see strengths in places others see only problems.
Sneak Peek: "Spike is chaos on four legs. But when Harold finally understands why, everything changes."
BOOK 11: THE KINDNESS CHAIN
Theme: How Kindness Ripples
Harold does one small kind thing—helps an elderly neighbor carry groceries. The neighbor, grateful, babysits for Harold's parents. His parents, with free time, reconnect and become closer. His parents, happier, are more patient with Harold. Harold's kindness literally creates a ripple of positivity that comes back to him. This book teaches that kindness isn't just good for the person receiving it—it changes the whole ecosystem around you.
What Harold Learns: One act of kindness can change more than you'll ever know. Kindness ripples outward.
Key Scene: Harold realizing that his small kindness set off a chain of events that made his whole family happier.
Character Growth: Harold learns that kindness is powerful and worth doing even when no one's watching.
Sneak Peek: "One kind act. One ripple. One chain of events that changes everything."
BOOK 12: THE EMOTIONAL ERUPTION
Theme: Managing Big Emotions
Harold's emotions feel out of control. One moment he's fine, the next he's furious or devastated or overwhelmed. He doesn't know what's happening to him. Through conversations with his parents and teachers, Harold learns that big emotions are normal—especially as he's growing. The key isn't not feeling them. The key is learning to experience them without letting them control your actions. Naming the emotion, taking a breath, waiting—these tools help.
What Harold Learns: Your emotions are valid. You just need tools to manage them.
Key Scene: Harold having an emotional breakdown and his mom teaching him to just breathe and let the feeling pass.
Character Growth: Harold develops emotional awareness and begins building a toolkit for managing feelings.
Sneak Peek: "Harold's emotions are a roller coaster. But he's about to learn how to stay in the seat without flying off the rails."