This is a very powerful book that delicately describes a child’s experience in the foster care system, a life of fear, instability, injustice and insecurity. It also demonstrates to readers that perfect is not achievable and that it shouldn’t be a goal. Everyone has different life and family experiences and circumstances. It also shows that you can never tell what some is actually going through in their lives.

It is very emotively written, I felt so many emotions whilst reading it. An important book that belongs in UKS2 & KS3 classrooms and libraries.

I'm so glad to see different families represented in middle grade fiction. This book was heartfelt, funny and moving. You really routed for the characters and the whole story was full of warmth. I'd be open to reading more from Stewart Foster after this book.

I highly recommend this book to all of my pupils. It is especially good for teaching diversity and differences as well as dealing with emotions. A lovely read.

I found this a well written, sensitive portrayal of a boy whose experience of multiple foster homes has made him both desperate for a more permanent family and distrustful of the one he's with now. Sam is on occasion a heart-breaking character, his journey through the story full of moments the reader finds frustrating and hopeful. I really liked the positive depictions of the adults in this, from the social worker, Sam's foster parents and all the others he comes into contact with. I also did particularly like Reilly, the 7 year old son of his foster parents who Sam genuinely loves. A really good novel with a positive ending.

11 year old Sam is a foster kid. He currently lives with Reilly and Reilly's mum and dad. But he is worried that he will be moved yet again so, with the help of his friend Leah, he starts The Perfect Parent Project, to try and find his forever home.

Sam is a complicated character. His life so far has been full of upheaval and he finds it difficult to trust anyone. This leads to him getting into all sorts of trouble as he attempts to get what he thinks he wants.

This is a really great read from Stewart Foster - suitable for older primary children.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

We read this book over quite a few nights and WOW! Not only did the boys love it, but I loved it too.

Sam is a fabulous main character who you really wish the very best for. I loved that a foster child is the main character and the boys learnt about how this can feel for a person who is often moved from house to house and has little knowledge of his birth parents. They were both really invested in him finding happiness and it led to some really insightful conversations with them.

I must admit, the last couple of chapters had me welling up. It really is a super book which we all LOVED and highly recommend to all.

A perfectly-pitched empathy-developing book full of warmth and heart and humour. At the centre of the story is a boy in the care system who will do just about anything to find the perfect parents. Sadly, we don't see children in care reflected very often in books and sometimes, when they are, the portrayal isn't the most positive one. But you have to read this to see how different it is - how sensitively Sam's story is told and how that story is just bursting with so much kindness, with some very special funny moments threaded throughout.

The Perfect Parent Project is a book full of warmth and insight which made me stop and think deeply about the emotions and experiences of foster children. I have read that author Stewart Foster has drawn on his own experience as a foster parent to write this story which I think deserves to be on everyone’s reading list to promote empathy.

Sam “small c, big c” McCann yearns for perfect parents. Parents who will give him real hugs, drive him to school in a BMW M5 and take him on holiday to Disneyland! You see, Sam is a foster child and has lived with eleven different foster families since he was handed over to the agency by his mother when she was no longer able to cope with looking after him.

In this first person narrative, Stewart Foster gives readers a heart-breaking and heart-warming insight into the lives of foster children and foster families through the immensely loveable character of Sam. The protagonists are written with such authority and authenticity that you are entirely swept up in Sam’s quest to find a family and a home in which he will belong; a home where his photo will be included amongst the family portraits, where he will be given a door key, and he won’t be sent to a respite centre whilst the foster family have a holiday.

Unfortunately his experiences to date have left him with no desire to make friends or get involved with school activities and a reluctance to trust adults, as he lives with the expectation of moving homes and schools just as he starts to feel settled anywhere. He currently has one close friend, Leah, who has remembered him from his brief attendance at her primary school and together they devise a scheme to find Sam a new home – the Perfect Parent Project! This involves the delivery of hundreds of printed leaflets to sufficiently up-market houses, based on Sam’s rather materialistic criteria for the ideal parents!

As the quest develops, Sam becomes more deeply entangled in a web of deceit which drives a wedge between him and his caring foster family, threatens his friendship with Leah and puts his involvement in the school production of Bugsy Malone in jeopardy.

This is a deeply moving and thought-provoking book and the story is told with such balance and nuance that you empathise with all parties: Sam; Leah having to deal with her own family break-up; as well as with Sam’s foster parents; and Reilly his adorable six-year-old foster brother. The author skilfully takes young readers on Sam’s journey of realisation that perfect families are those who care for each other, spend time together, encourage each other, and create a sense of belonging.

After Sam is returned home by a police officer at one point in the story, he explains:

“ She didn’t know what it’s like to want something so much that you ache forever inside”.

This is one of many memorable moments in The Perfect Parent Project that I know will remain in my heart. Others include the image of Reilly, leaning down from the top bunk bed to chat every evening causing Sam to nick-name him “the jellyfish” and the point when Sam stops referring to his foster parents as Reilly’s mum and dad. I often feel that we can learn so much about acceptance from young children and in the character of Reilly we are given a true lesson in what it means to accept someone for who they are – I am determined to “be more Reilly” after reading this wonderful story.

I am most grateful to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me access to an eARC of The Perfect Parent Project. It is now available to purchase and I highly recommend it to anyone of 9+.

The Perfect Parent Project by Stewart Foster really resonated with me. It is the story of 11 year old Sam, a foster kid who has been moved from pillar to post for as long as he can remember. This book is heartwarming and funny and I felt so much empathy for Sam as he went on his quest to find the perfect parents.


Stewart Foster has that wonderful talent in a writer to see the world through the eyes of a child. And this is the key to this book-you see the world through Sam's eyes but you are also removed from it and see it as an outside observer. Following Sam through his journey felt painful at time because Sam is a child that doesn't trust anyone. Watching him put up barriers and reject people for fear of them rejecting him first is heartbreaking.


I have taught children like Sam; perhaps that's why the book resonated so much. I could feel his pain and understand why he doesn't trust people-experience has taught him that he isn't really wanted, he will eventually get moved on wherever he finds himself. His defences are up so high that he doesn't even really bother making an effort most of the time he expects to be rejected. I found myself feeling anguish reading this because Sam couldn't see what was right in front of him: people who love and care for him.


Despite the way I have made it sound, the book is actually very warm and full of laughter and lovely moments. The support network around Sam are hugely likeable, from his best friend Leah (even though he can't bring himself to tell her she's his best friend) to Reilly, the son of the foster family he finds himself with to 'Rock Star Steve' the one constant in Sam's life, the social worker who has been with him through all his family moves.


This is a very engaging story with real heart. It is something that Stewart Foster does so skilfully in his books. He draws you in by creating characters that feel real and invites your empathy, then takes you on a journey through their lives. I recommend this book for anyone from Y4 upwards (I think there are many adults who will enjoy this as well, especially if you have any experience of foster children or children who struggle to trust people).

Sam is 11 and still in foster care, this is his story of how he searches for the perfect parents.

What I loved is that this is a story about Sam, who is a foster child. I can't think of many stories about foster children and when I do they are always very violent, unsettled and the reason they are in care is their behaviour. This is not the case for this book and it's perfect to read about a child that the system, in a way, has failed.

The number of children that get adopted at 11 is very very low, many children end up being stuck in a system forever that makes them feel abandoned.

In this book we hear directly from Sam and his inner thoughts, the amount of times I think, if only you could share what you are thinking then everything would work out. It's important to be reminded that trauma does not need to be physical, emotional trauma also leaves it mark. An emotional read!

Sam has found himself jumping from foster home to foster home. All he wants from life is his own family, not someone else’s. To achieve this, Sam creates lists of what the “Perfect Parents” must be. Most lists include the need for a BMW M5 or a keenness to travel to Disneyland.

In order to discover the perfect parents, Sam utilises the help of his best friend, Leah. Together they form a plan to start the “Perfect Parent Project.” They design posters advertising for the need to find the perfect parents and deliver them across town, particularly to the bigger houses that look like they might have swimming pools and BMW M5s.

Such a well written book and once again, Stewart Foster has brilliantly tapped into his characters and their thought processes to create an amazing air of realism. As a teacher I was able to relate Sam’s outlook and way of thinking to some of the children that I have taught over the years. It’s a fictional story but it’s oh so very real.

I look forward to introducing this book into my classroom, to sit alongside Stewart Foster’s other incredible titles. He has a knack for telling stories that allow children to empathise with those of a similar age and their experiences.

Every classroom needs a Stewart Foster shelf.

Really enjoyed #ThePerfectParentProject by @stewfoster1 Accessible, heart-warming & humourous, I had a lump in my throat all the way through at the searingly honest way this book deals with fostering. Perfectly pitched to KS2, a gem to promote understanding without sugar-coating

The Perfect Parent Project is a powerful story of one boy’s desperation to belong and is so heart wrenchingly good.

Sam has grown up in foster care and nothing has worked out. He has moved from home to home and longs for his own family. Eventually, he decides to take matters into his own hands and, alongside best friend Leah, he sets out to find his perfect family... one with a BMW M5 and no gerbils. However, finding the perfect family is trickier than he first thought and the results are not quite what Sam expected.

I rooted for Sam the whole way through, even when I questioned his actions; these character flaws made him wholly believable. The relationships are depicted so beautifully and sensitively - his friendship with Leah, his relationship with Riley and his often fraught relationship with ‘Riley’s mum’.

The Perfect Parent Project is an important read for 9+ and will definitely develop empathy.

This was the first book I have read by Stewart Foster but I have now added his others to my TBR pile after discovering this great talent.

I am a massive fan of Stew Foster's books but this one is his best yet. I laughed, I shouted, I cried. This is such a powerful, insightful and thought provoking read, told by a voice that truly understands young people. I have no doubt that this will be not only a popular book on classroom shelves but also a hugely important one. Just brilliant.

Sam McCann has never had a real home. As a foster child, he’s lived in lot of houses but has never had a place where he’s felt completely safe, at ease and wanted. After nine houses in five years, he is always anticipating his next move. Fed up with waiting for others to find the best possible home for him, Sam decides to take matters into his own hands and starts his Perfect Parent Project – a search for a family who will love him and give him the home of his dreams.

This is a story that sheds so much light on the realities of being a child in foster care. Not only will children in care see themselves portrayed in a meaningful, positive story of hope but other children, who have never had to live this type of life, will gain insight and understanding resulting in greater empathy and care.

The Perfect Parent Project is a story of being able to trust and feel secure. Sam pretends he doesn’t care about the family he is with, new friendships and the chance to be in the school play when, really, he cares so very much. This is true of so many children who live in limbo and uncertainty. With wonderfully funny moments and a touching message, readers will cheer Sam on in his quest for a happier life and a place he can call home.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Books for this powerful book!

Another smashing book by Stewart Foster. The book explored a very strong theme of finding home and family. It was funny yet heartbreaking. Sam was a model protagonist. He had his strengths and flaws which made him likeable in my opinions. However I sometimes questioned his choices but it's probably a part of the story. Leah was also a lovable character, always supporting no matter what went on with her life. The book provided a strong message at the end which was nice. The story was wrapped up nicely with a bow which was very satisfactory. Devoured this book and will recommend to anyone 9+.

I liked this book looking at how some foster children feel especially when they are moved constantly.

Sam is foster child and all he wants is the perfect parents like he see on TV and in films, so with his friend Leah he makes a plan to find his perfect parents.

Sam does not feel like he is wanted in the family that is looking after him, thought having Reilly as a younger brother is great but Reilly's mum is always checking up on him and nagging him.

Stewart Foster has managed to capture Sam's feelings very well and you really connect with what he is feeling throughout the book. Stewart has also been able to show the reader what Sam is missing with Reilly's family because he cannot see what is there all the time.

Really enjoyed the book

What is the difference between a house and a home? This book makes you stop and reconsider that issue from the point of view of Sam, the protagonist, who has spent most of his life in foster care. For Sam, a home is somewhere to 'belong': one with pictures on the wall which include you in them; a home has posters on your bedroom wall; it is receiving proper hugs where 'people wrap their arms and squeeze you tight;' Sam longs for what 'normal kids do - sit down and watch TV with their parents'. As I look around my own family home, these seem to me to be heartbreakingly norms that I expect are taken for granted by so many children, my own included!

In this book, Sam decides to try and take control of his own destiny and devises a plan to recruit his own 'Perfect parent'. He and his friend, Leah, design a poster which define his need to find a perfect home. Predictably, they are child centric, and (mainly) not what he (eventually) discovers that he really needs in his perfect parent: a trip to Disneyland and a BMW M5.

It is soon evident that Sam is in a lovely foster home, and perhaps it is the reflection of this that makes him search all the harder. He has a wonderful relationship with Reilly, the foster family's son, and Sam is compassionate and genuinely likes playing with Reilly. Sarah, Reilly's mum, is open and caring, but Sam's understandable prickliness makes it difficult for her to get close. Furthermore, Sam's secret parent project threatens to derail any kind of relationship developing between them all.

Sam has a great social work, Rock Star Steve, and he seems to be available for Sam every time a crisis occurs. I am not sure how realistic this availability of a social worker to a child in need really is, but Steve is a strong advocate for Sam and shows incredible patience in supporting Sam when his behaviour appears to be unacceptable on several occasions during the book.

The way that Sam develops a relationship with his future 'perfect parents', Michelle and Dave, is quite amusing and naive - a perfect representation of an incredibly complex situation from child's point of view. Sam is a quirky character who tries to present a 'normal' persona at school, of someone with a family, at times even inventing and lying about where he lives, whether he has siblings, what his parents do for a living. It is clear as you get to know Sam that he is a deeply complex character with a history which is not so much dark as a void in his memory.

I loved this book. It has made me think quite deeply about how hard it must be for foster children, whilst balancing the humour in the situation. Sam's needs are perfectly natural and his inability to talk and confide in the people around him lead to all sorts of complications. This is a wonderful book to encourage children to look beyond their own life and consider how difficult it might be for others around them.

Sam has lived in lots of foster homes so he fully expects to have to leave his current one. Rather than wait for his social worker to tell him its time to move on, he decides to take matters into his own hands and embarks on a project to find the Perfect Parents.

This is the best book I’ve read this year and the easiest five star review I’ve given. It is both melancholy and heartwarming at the same time. The way the author describes Sam’s emotions and thought processes is utterly believable. I just wanted to reach into the book and give him a big hug. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.

An excellent book which deals expertly and delicately with what it is really like to be a child in foster care. Viewing being a foster child from Sam’s perspective was a real insight and many of the emotions and thoughts he had were very identifiable which a child I have who is in foster care in my school. This book has genuinely changed my attitude as a teacher and equipped me with ideas and a renewed empathy for children who I teach in this situation.