Chahal, a student at Seaforth elementary in Burnaby, was thrilled by the decision: “I’m shaking right now!” she whooped.

“A lot of kids in my grade are kind of into the cool-image thing,” Chahal says. “You read? That’s not cool.’ I’m kind of more into books, so Harry Potter has always been—books have always been—my passion.”

“I’ve really always liked talking with people and meeting new people,” Chahal says of her desire to one day become a journalist. “And I’m a very nosy and curious person. I’m very in-your-face. It’s the perfect job for me: I love to write, I was actually in the public-speaking finals in my region, I like public speaking, I like presenting. It would be so perfect to turn into a career.”

Michael's mother, Louise Farr, says her son can hardly believe it.

"When he received the phone call he was, I think, shell-shocked," she said. "He's still not realizing how big this is."