Free Horrible Harry and the Holidaze by Suzy Kline

The “D” Word

    M y name is Doug and I’m in third grade. I write about what happens in Room 3B, but this holiday story was the hardest one to write. Something was the matter with my best friend Harry. I can only come up with one way to describe him that month. Harry was in a daze.
    He didn’t flash his white teeth. He didn’t call Sid a squid. He wasn’t interested in things that were slimy, hairy, or creepy. And he didn’t seem to be in love with Song Lee anymore. Harry just wasn’t his horrible self.
    It all started one morning in early December. “Boys and girls,” Miss Mackle said. “Today is an exciting day! We have a new student in our room, and a new class pet!”
    Everyone looked at the new boy, then at the large pet cage. A white towel was draped over it.
    â€œThis is Yousef Hadad. Tell us about yourself, Yousef!” the teacher said.
    Yousef wasn’t shy. He spoke right up. “Call me ZuZu. That’s a nickname for Joseph in Lebanese. Lebanon is a country on the Mediterranean Sea.”
    Miss Mackle pulled down the wall map and pointed to his homeland.
    ZuZu smiled as he took the white towel off the cage. “And this is JouJou. He’s a tortoiseshell guinea pig.”

    Everyone oohed and ahhed. Song Lee clapped her hands. JouJou looked like one giant auburn, black, and white hairball.
    â€œWhat does JouJou mean in Lebanese?” Miss Mackle asked.
    â€œGeorge,” ZuZu answered. “I’m sure glad you said I could keep him in class, Miss Mackle, I love animals. I know how to take good care of them.”
    â€œWell, we’re happy to have JouJou in Room 3B. He’s a holiday gift to all of us!”
    I immediately looked over at Harry and put two thumbs up. But Harry wasn’t even looking at JouJou! He was scribbling a bunch of empty circles! What was going on, I thought. Harry loves hairy things.
    â€œWho would like to help ZuZu look after JouJou this week?” the teacher asked.
    Song Lee raised her hand first. Although she’s shy, she loves animals. Last year she brought three to our class: Chungju, a salamander; Bong, a water frog; and Yi, a hamster.

    The rest of us waved our hands madly in the air, too. Except for Harry. He just looked mad.
    For a while, I was the only person who noticed Harry was in a daze. Song Lee was too busy helping ZuZu.
    â€œI can fill the water bottle,” she said.
    â€œI can get the wet and dry food out,” ZuZu replied. “I brought carrots and potato peelings in baggies, but I keep the cereal in this can. It has a nice tight lid.”
    When I stopped by Harry’s desk, he was still doodling. His scribbled circles looked like the Grand Canyon. “What’s the matter with you?” I asked. “You look like a scowling statue.”
    Harry didn’t answer, but he did move. He shrugged his shoulders once.
    After lunch things got even busier. Miss Mackle wrote the word holidays on the blackboard and underlined the “s” ending. “We are so lucky this year!” she exclaimed. “Remember when I sent a letter to your parents asking about the winter holidays you celebrate at home? Well, I found out that Room 3B families celebrate five!”
    â€œFive?” Sidney gasped. “I thought there was just one holiday Christmas.”
    Mary blew her bangs up in the air. She does that when she gets angry. “Haven’t you ever heard of Hanukkah, Sid?”
    â€œOr Kwanzaa?” Ida added.
    â€œOr Three Kings’ Day?” Dexter replied.
    â€œMother is going to help me share our Korean New Year’s,” Song Lee said softly.
    Miss Mackle beamed. “Thanks to our parent volunteers everyone in our class will get to know five winter holidays this year!”
    â€œMy dad’s coming this afternoon,” Dexter blurted out. “Any minute now!”
    Everyone cheered as Miss Mackle pushed a long table in front of the room.