Sam has been passed from foster home to foster home for as long as he can remember and all he wants is a family - parents to call his own. He has a list of what the perfect parents must have which includes owning a BMW MS and going to Disneyland on holiday, but most of all he wants a home (not a house), so when his friend, Leah, suggests that he actively go out and find his parents, he agrees and so The Perfect Parent Project begins. Advertising for the perfect parents, Sam and Leah design posters and deliver them to houses that Sam thinks he would like to live in. But things don't quite go as planned and he begins to wonder if he'll ever find his perfect parents.
A wonderfully written book, this story gets right to the heart of how children like Sam must feel. He is desperate to find a family who will love and hug him yet, having been hurt so many times in the past, he's afraid to show his true emotions and to open up and let his current foster family in. He spends his life expecting to have to pack-up and leave at a moment's notice (& who can blame him) so spends every day on edge, waiting for the end to come and being afraid to commit to things such as a role in the school production of Bugsy, in case he's moved before he can see it through. He just wants to belong somewhere and call somewhere home.
We see so many sides of Sam throughout the book: the young boy who's hiding at the beginning of the book in Eric, a bin down a side-alley; his outward portrayal of himself as somebody who doesn't care when he's around his current foster family; his desire to hide his home-life from his friends in drama club... it's only with Leah that he really feels he can be himself. Life must be exhausting for him and that comes across in many different way, not least of which in his attempts to keep up with his lies when he's with Josh and his aunt and uncle.
It would be remiss of me not to mention Reilly, the 6 year old son of Sam's current foster parents with whom Sam shares a bedroom. The pair spend quite a bit of time playing computer games, and Sam's caring side comes out strongly here when he is happy to constantly help Reilly. He's a wonderful character whose young age means that he has no motive and simply loves Sam for who he is, and I think that is why Sam allows himself to grow close to him.
Stewart Foster has a way of writing books that allow children to become immersed in and understand situations that they may never find themselves in - they help children to empathise with issues that other children will experience in a way that is interesting and gripping. The Perfect Parent Project is a heart-warming story that made me want to constantly reach into the book to save Sam, sometimes from the situation he was in and sometimes from himself. It shows us the importance of trust, friendship and family, of belonging, love and also how much we need hugs. (and yes, I cried and hugged the book at the end!).
Due for release on the 21st January, The Perfect Parent Project will be an other hit for Stewart Foster - I already have several children eyeing it up at school!
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