Free Resources — Hazardous Harold Children’s Book Club

When Harold swaps baking soda for baking powder and adds WAY too much of everything, he creates the MEGA 3000—the most spectacularly disastrous volcano in science fair history. Pink foam EVERYWHERE. Students slip-sliding across the gym floor. Teachers doing unintentional splits. The principal turned into a human foam fountain.

It's chaos. It's hilarious. And it's entirely Harold's fault.

But here's where Harold's story gets good: instead of running away, Harold faces the mess he's made. He grabs a mop. He works harder than ever to make things right. And along the way, he learns a lesson that changes everything about how he approaches challenges.

Perfect for readers 7-11 who love hilarious characters, relatable mistakes, and stories with real heart.

It's the night before the Science Fair, and Harold has a problem. Actually, make that ZERO problems—because he hasn't even started his project yet!
Harold is all arms and legs, elbows and knees—a 9-year-old with light brown hair who's taller than most kids his age. And he has a special talent: creating unintentional chaos wherever he goes.
But Harold isn't worried about the science fair. He's got plenty of time! He'll just whip up a quick volcano. How hard can it be?
Answer: SPECTACULARLY hard when you're Harold.
When Harold swaps baking soda for baking powder and adds WAY too much of everything, he creates the MEGA 3000—a volcano so explosive it launches pink foam across the entire gym. We're talking:
- Foam cascading down the bleachers like a strawberry avalanche
- Students slip-sliding across the floor like figure skaters
- Teachers doing unintentional acrobatics
- Principal Bloom transformed into a human foam fountain
- A janitor's mop that had the hardest day of its life
It's absolutely hilarious. And absolutely Harold's fault.
But here's where Harold's story gets really good:
Instead of making excuses or sneaking away, Harold faces the disaster he's created. His first instinct is to panic—to hide, to run, to pretend it wasn't his fault. But then something shifts. Harold grabs a mop. He apologizes to Mrs. Johnson. And he works harder than he's ever worked in his life to make things right.
What Harold discovers isn't just that he CAN fix his mistakes—it's that facing them feels infinitely better than running away.
This is the beginning of Harold's journey. The first of his spectacular misadventures that teaches him—and readers—that everyone makes mistakes, but what matters is what you do next.
Perfect for:
- Readers ages 7-11 who love laugh-out-loud humor
- Kids who've made big mistakes and felt ashamed
- Anyone who needs to learn that failure isn't final
- Classrooms exploring responsibility and character growth

BOOK 2:

HAROLD'S CATASTROPHIC PET DAY

Pet Day is coming to Bondi Primary School, and Harold has a problem: he doesn't have a pet.

Everyone's bringing their dogs, cats, rabbits, and hamsters. Murphy's bringing Biscuit, his golden retriever. Sarah's bringing her fluffy rabbit, Snowflake. And Harold? Harold has nothing.

Until he spots his neighbour Mrs. Wei's parakeet—a brilliant blue bird named Pickles—sitting in a cage on her back porch. The idea forms slowly in Harold's mind, then spreads like wildfire: Just borrow it. Just for one day. She won't even notice.

But Harold doesn't borrow things. He BREAKS them.

And when Harold's "borrowing mission" goes hilariously wrong, he's forced to face a choice: tell the truth and admit what he's done or keep lying and hope Mrs. Wei doesn't find out.

What Harold discovers is that honesty is harder than he thought—but lying is SO much worse.

Join Hazardous Harold as he learns one of life's most important lessons.

Pet Day is coming, and Harold's heart is sinking.
His best friend Murphy is bringing Biscuit, his golden retriever. Sarah's bringing her fluffy rabbit, Snowflake. Kevin has a hamster. Even quiet Emma has a guinea pig. But Harold? Harold has nothing. Their tiny apartment is "too small for anything with a heartbeat," according to his mum.
Harold tries to act like it doesn't matter. But it does.
Then he spots her: Pickles, his neighbor Mrs. Wei's brilliant blue parakeet, singing happily on the back porch. And a crazy idea forms in Harold's mind:
Just borrow her. Just for one day. Mrs. Wei won't even notice.
The plan seems foolproof. Harold sneaks into Mrs. Wei's backyard, carefully opens the cage, and gently places Pickles in a small box. Easy! Quiet! Harmless!
Except Harold is Harold.
The box tips. Pickles flies. Harold chases her through the garden, knocking over plant pots and tangling himself in the garden hose. He finally catches her—in the neighbor's pool. Soaking wet. Terrified. Definitely not "borrowing."
Now Harold's in a situation familiar to anyone who's tried to cover up a mistake: it's getting bigger and messier and more complicated every second. He hides Pickles in a cage under his bed. He lies to Mrs. Wei when she comes looking. He lies to his mum. He lies to Murphy.
And with every lie, Harold feels worse and worse, because deep down, he knows the truth: this isn't going to end well.
When everything finally falls apart, Harold makes a choice that changes everything. He tells the truth—all of it—and discovers something unexpected: honesty might be harder than lying in the moment, but it feels SO much better.
This is Harold's second adventure, and it teaches readers one of life's most essential lessons: being yourself is infinitely better than pretending to be someone else

BOOK 3:

HAROLD'S BIRTHDAY BASH BLUNDER

Murphy's birthday party is going to be perfect. At least, that's what Harold keeps telling himself.

There's a bouncing castle. A slippery slide. And the crown jewel: a massive triple-decker chocolate volcano cake with sparklers and edible dinosaur gummies.

Harold has promised himself: This time, nothing's going to go wrong. No chaos. No disasters. Just fun.

He lasts approximately twelve minutes.

When Harold's stomach grumbles loudly during Happy Birthday, he makes a decision that will change everything: Just one sausage roll. One tiny snack won't hurt.

It will hurt. Specifically, it will hurt when Spike (Harold's newly adopted Jack Russell Terrier) spots a cat, yanks free from Mia's grip, tangles around Harold's ankles, and sends him flying directly into the cake table.

The result: pure chaos. Flying frosting. A cake-launch worthy of NASA. One birthday boy covered in chocolate dinosaurs. And one very guilty Harold standing in the wreckage.

But Harold's learned something from his previous misadventures: facing the mess is always the answer.

Murphy's birthday party should be perfect. It has everything:
- A bouncing castle
- A slippery slide
- A triple-decker chocolate volcano cake (almost as spectacular as Harold's infamous MEGA 3000)
- Edible dinosaur gummies on top
- Sparklers
Harold has been counting down the days. And he's made himself a promise: This time, nothing's going to go wrong. I've learned from the volcano disaster and the whole Pickles situation. Today is going to be normal. Fun. Perfect.
He lasts approximately twelve minutes.
The party starts beautifully. Kids are laughing. Murphy is thrilled. The cake is untouched. And then Harold's stomach grumbles—loud enough for three kids to hear.
Harold looks at the snack table. He looks at his stomach. He looks back at the snack table.
Just one sausage roll, he thinks. Just one tiny snack won't hurt.
This is where Harold's height becomes a liability. His gangly legs and clumsy feet carry him across the lawn like a flamingo on roller skates, arms outstretched for balance, eyes locked on his target.
He almost makes it.
Almost.
But Spike—Harold's newly adopted Jack Russell Terrier, all energy and chaos and love—spots the neighbor's cat sitting on the fence. Spike yanks the leash from Mia's hand and bolts.
The leash wraps around Harold's ankles just as he reaches for the sausage roll.
What happens next is physics in action:
Harold's arms windmill. His legs tangle. And he launches forward like a human projectile, crashing directly into the birthday table.
The cake—that massive triple-decker chocolate masterpiece—wobbles. It tilts. It launches into the air, twists like an Olympic gymnast, and splats directly onto Angus (Murphy's little brother), covering him head to toe in frosting and gummy T-Rexes.
For a moment, there's complete silence.
Then Angus screams: "THE CAKE ATTACKED ME!"
Harold lies face-down in the grass, still clutching a sausage roll. The party is in ruins.
But here's what Harold has learned from his previous disasters: run away, and the shame grows. Face it, and somehow—magically—things get better.

BOOK 4:

HAROLD'S SPORTS DAY SLIP-UP

Sports Day is Harold's chance to prove he's more than just "Hazardous Harold."

He's been training. He's been practicing. He's going to run the relay race and show everyone that yes, he's clumsy, but he's also fast. He's also determined. He's also capable.

And then Spike shows up.

Harold's beloved Jack Russell Terrier somehow escapes during the Games, bolts onto the track, and hijacks the relay race. He trips Harold during the handoff. He tangles around other runners. He causes the kind of chaos that makes Harold want to give up right there.

But something's different this time. Harold's tired of quitting. He's tired of letting embarrassment win.

So he gets back up. He keeps running. And he discovers something powerful: it's not about being perfect. It's about never giving up.

Join Harold as he learns that perseverance matters more than perfection.

This is Harold's moment.
Sports Day at Bondi Primary School is finally here, and Harold has been training for the relay race for weeks. He's not the fastest runner. He’s, not the most coordinated (this is Harold, after all). But he's determined.
"You can do this," Murphy tells him, slapping his back supportively.
"I believe in you," Mia adds.
And Harold believes in himself. For once, he really does.
He's trained. He's practiced. He's ready to show everyone that yes, he's clumsy, yes, he's caused chaos before—but he's also someone who doesn't quit. Someone who keeps trying.
And then Spike happens.
His beloved Jack Russell Terrier—adopted just a few months ago and the source of most of Harold's recent disasters—somehow escapes during the Games. Maybe someone left his crate open. Maybe Spike found a fence gap. Nobody knows. But suddenly, he's bounding onto the track, full of energy and chaos and terrible timing.
The relay race is in motion. Harold's running his leg. He can see his teammate approaching for the handoff. He can do this. He can—
Spike appears between his legs.
Harold trips. He stumbles. The baton flies. Other runners trip over Spike too. The whole race becomes a tangled mess of running kids and one very enthusiastic terrier who has absolutely no idea what he's done.
Harold is on the ground. Again. In front of the whole school. Again.
He lies there for a moment, feeling the familiar weight of shame and embarrassment. Why does this always happen to me? he thinks. Maybe I should just give up. Maybe I'm just "Hazardous Harold," and that's all I'll ever be.
But then something shifts. He thinks about the volcano. He thinks about Pickles. He thinks about Murphy's birthday cake. In every single situation, quitting made him feel worse. Getting back up—facing the chaos—made him feel better.
So Harold gets back up. And he runs. He doesn't win. But he finishes.
And that matters infinitely more.

BOOK 5:

HAROLD'S HOSPITAL HULLABALOO

Harold's visiting his Aunt Helen at Sydney General Hospital, and he's brought his overstuffed backpack.

His backpack is legendary—fi lled with snacks, books, a tablet, extra sneakers, a water bottle, three different sweaters, and approximately seventeen things nobody actually-needs. Harold considers it "prepared." Everyone else considers it "hazardous."

"Just stay calm," his dad tells him as they head into the hospital. "It's a quiet, peaceful place. What could possibly go wrong?"

Famous last words.

When Harold's bulging backpack accidentally triggers an emergency exit door, a hospital bed—complete with an elderly patient inside—rockets out onto the street and down a very steep hill.

Harold chases it through Sydney traffic, through the parks, past startled pedestrians, in what might be the most chaotic rescue mission in hospital history.

It's his biggest disaster yet. And his most important lesson: awareness and mindfulness matter.

Harold and his dad are visiting Aunt Helen at Sydney General Hospital.
His mum couldn't come—she had to work—so his dads in charge. His dad, who keeps saying things like, "It's a hospital, Harold. Very quiet. Very calm. You'll just sit still for an hour. What could possibly go wrong?"
(Harold has learned that when adults ask, "what could possibly go wrong," something definitely will.)
Harold's brought his legendary backpack—the one stuffed with snacks, books, a tablet, extra sneakers, a water bottle, three different sweaters, his lucky baseball cap, random toys, and approximately seventeen things nobody asked him to bring. His mum calls it "overstuffed." Harold calls it "prepared."
"Just leave it on the chair," his dad suggests as they head to Aunt Helen's room.
But Harold sets it down, right next to a red button marked "EMERGENCY EXIT" on the wall. Harold doesn't even notice it. He's too busy greeting his aunt and telling her about his latest adventure (the birthday cake incident).
What happens next is pure Harold chaos:
His bulging, overstuffed backpack brushes against the emergency exit button. Alarms blare. Hospital protocols activate. And a hospital bed—complete with an elderly patient inside—rockets out through the emergency doors and onto the street.
Then it starts rolling. Down the street. Down the hill. Gaining speed.
Harold's eyes go wide. "AUNT HELEN'S BED!" he shouts, and bolts after it.
What follows is the most chaotic rescue mission in Sydney General Hospital history. Harold chasing a runaway hospital bed through city streets. Past startled pedestrians. Through traffic. Down sidewalks. The elderly patient in the bed (who, fortunately, finds the whole thing hilarious) is somehow laughing the entire time.
Harold finally catches it three blocks away, completely out of breath, completely mortified, and completely at the beginning of understanding one of life's most important lessons:
Being aware of your surroundings. Thinking before you act. Paying attention to details. These things matter.
This is Harold's fifth adventure—and the moment he realizes his biggest journey isn't about stopping being clumsy. It's about becoming someone who's mindful, aware, and thoughtful about how his actions affect the world around him.se

What Makes Harold Special? Real Growth, Not Perfection.

Harold doesn't become perfect—he becomes better. Each book shows authentic character development as Harold learns from his spectacular mistakes.

Humor With Heart Kids laugh at the chaos while absorbing important life lessons about responsibility, honesty, patience, perseverance, and mindfulness.

Values Without Preaching Lessons emerge naturally from the story. No lectures, just genuine learning through relatable experiences.

Every book includes comprehensive discussion guides, activities, and curriculum connections. Materials grow in complexity alongside Harold.

Backed by Experts Series aligns with Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) standards and character education frameworks, with age-appropriate progression through the arcs.

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📚 Sample Chapter - Read Chapter 1 of Harold's Science Fair Fiasco

🎨 Coloring Pages - Harold, Spike, and friends

📝 Activity Sheets - Worksheets for all 5 books

👨‍🏫 Educator Preview - Sample lesson plan

📖 Reading Guide - Discussion questions for families. Get instant access when you join Harold's Circle of Friends (it's free!)

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"Finally, a series that teaches character education without feeling like a lecture. My students LOVE Harold and Spike!" — Jennifer T., 3rd Grade Teacher

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20 Books. 4 Epic Arcs. 5 Life-Changing Lessons. 1 Unforgettable Journey.

Each title pairs a fast, funny plot with values-rich takeaways and classroom-ready notes that build comprehension and critical thinking.

ARC 1:

LEARNING THE BASICS (Books 1-5, Ages 9-10)

Harold Discovers Responsibility, Honesty, and Patience

Book 1: Harold's Science Fair Fiasco

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BOOK 2:

HAROLD'S CATASTROPHIC PET DAY

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BOOK 3:

HAROLD'S BIRTHDAY BASH BLUNDER

READ MORE

BOOK 4:

HAROLD'S SPORTS DAY SLIP-UP

READ MORE

BOOK 5:

HAROLD'S HOSPITAL HULLABALOO

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What Makes Harold Special? Real Growth, Not Perfection.

Free New Member Gift

Get Started with These FREE Downloads!

Get instant access when you join Harold's Circle of Friends (it's free!)

What Readers Are Saying

"My reluctant reader couldn't put Harold down! He's read the entire series twice and asks when the next book is coming!" — Sarah M., Parent

"Finally, a series that teaches character education without feeling like a lecture. My students LOVE Harold and Spike!" — Jennifer T., 3rd Grade Teacher

"Harold's growth across the series is so realistic. My son sees himself in Harold and it's helped him handle his own mistakes better." — David K., Parent

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