Hari Kumar: The Race Day Disaster

Meet HARI KUMAR, superstar-in-the-making, in this laugh-out-loud doodle-packed diary series for 8+ readers.

‘Hilarious and joyful’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki

Hari Kumar is BACK. 10 years old and 100% going to be a SUPERSTAR.

It’s Sports Day, AKA the literal WORST day of the whole entire year (according to Hari)!

Leonardo House have NEVER won Sports Day, and this year Hari is determined to win the SHINY new trophy and beat his NEMESIS, Martin. Nani’s next-level fitness bootcamp has him doing some SERIOUS training, even burpees!

Can Hari help lead his house to victory, and show Lily that he’d do ANYTHING for his friends?

Packed full of friendship, doodles and draaaaama, this series is perfect for fans of TOM GATES and LOKI!

Reviews

‘Told in Hari's hilarious voice, this diary-style book is perfect for readers who enjoy Tom Gates, Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Loki’ The Week Junior, Book of the Week

‘More heartwarming hilarity ensues … in the second book in Sirdeshpande's superb series’ Waterstones

Praise for the series:

‘Hilarious and joyful’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki

‘Funny, fresh and relatable – Hari Kumar really is a superstar. So many young readers will find themselves reflected right back as they read the pages of his hilarious and heartwarming diary’ A. F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series

‘Pure chaotic comedy joy! Filled with heart and humour and much-needed representation with a neurodivergent South Asian main character whose personality just zings off the page’ Serena Patel, author of Anisha, Accidental Detective

‘[A] fantastic fast-paced book for fans of Wimpy Kid. Mega fun and filled with nuggets from South Asian culture, Hari is the superstar we all need’ Maisie Chan, author of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths

‘Hari’s huge personality leaps off the page with heart and humour. I dare anyone not to fall in love with this superstar!’ Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear

‘A wonderful read that fizzes with joy’ Philippa Leathley, author of Inkbound

‘Meet your new best friend! Highly relatable, funny and lovable, Hari Kumar is going to take the world by storm!’ Rachel Morrisroe, author of Felix and the Future Agency

‘A vibrant and joyful new voice in middle grade – bursting with heart, humour and superstar energy’ Jenny Pearson, author of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates

‘Every reader deserves to be seen, to relate to characters, and Hari Kumar is a fun, vibrant, fast paced book that is also important for diverse AND neurodiverse readership’ Nathanael Lessore, author of Solving Crimes is NOT My Superpower

About the author

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a neurodivergent children’s author and an advocate for underrepresented voices in children’s publishing. A former World Book Day author and BookTrust Writer-in-Residence, Rashmi has won a number of awards, including the Diverse Book Awards and the Society of Authors Queen’s Knickers Award. Hari Kumar: The Race Day Disaster is the second in a laugh-out-loud new series.

@rashmiwriting