Wanted

Cyril’s mom has been dragging him to open houses for as long as he can remember. It’s been her dream that one day the two of them will have a house of their own. So, when she decides she’ll never find one they can afford, Cyril is relieved, but also sad for her. Which leads him to an idea: What if they moved in with an older person living alone who needs companionship and housekeeping? And what if that person then leaves the house to his mom in their will? It’s a big “what if.” But one elderly gentleman named Mr. Hartt actually seems open to it. Could this grouchy, stubborn old man be their dream come true? Or will he turn out to be their worst nightmare?

Award-winning author Monique Polak has written a highly readable novel that sensitively explores the idea of found family and alternative family structures. Readers will appreciate how the novel’s lovable protagonist, Cyril, has caring relationships with his mom, his best friend and his friend’s family (refugees from the war in Ukraine), while also feeling normal middle-grade insecurities and frustrations as he tries to navigate the changes in his and his friend’s family’s lives. The book offers excellent lessons on adaptability and tolerance. The story’s focus on older people (Cyril is originally inspired by a school assignment to interview older adults) offers an opportunity for conversations about aging, and could inspire readers to cultivate their own intergenerational relationships and learn more about the older people in their lives.

Monique Polak is the author of over 30 books for young people including Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory, Open Science: Knowledge for Everyone and What World is Left. She is a three-time winner of the Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Children’s and YA Literature, now called the Janet Savage Blachford Prize. Her work has also been nominated for prizes such as the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction and the Arthur Ellis Award. She lives in Montreal.