Allan Ahlberg's The Boyhood of Burglar Bill is a nostalgic, autobiographical story about football, schooldays and growing-up in the '50s. Allan Ahlberg is the internationally bestselling author of children's classics that include Peepo! and Each Peach, Pear Plum, illustrated by Janet Ahlberg.
Archie was a wonder dog in all our eyes. Nearly a year ago he had got run over. They found his foot in the street but the rest of him ran off. Mr Purnell mourned for a while; Mrs Purnell offered to beat the motorcyclist up or at least wreck his bike. Then, lo and behold, a fortnight later back came Archie.
Coronation year, 1953. The boys from the bottom pitch - a great soup of boys - play football. When the 'Coronation Cup' is proposed, they put their heads together, pool their pocket money and get a team up. There's no chance they'll win of course. They're just the odds and sods in Mr Cork's opinion. Besides, he'd go berserk if they did; menace them with his one good arm and pulverise their desks with his cricket stump. They'd be better off losing.
The Boyhood of Burglar Bill is the second in a sequence of stories in which Allan Ahlberg explores his own childhood. My Brother's Ghost, shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, was the first.
Allan Ahlberg has published books for children of all ages from the picture books Peepo!, Each Peach, Pear, Plum, The Jolly Postman and the Funnybones series - illustrated by Janet Ahlberg - to his books for older readers including Woof! and his books of verse: Please Mrs. Butler and Heard it in the Playground.
This book was recognised by the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Award. This award was founded in 1967 and winners are selected by fellow writers. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above.
There are 192 pages in this book. This book was published 2008 by Penguin Books Ltd .
Allan Ahlberg is the author of nuemrous award-winning and popular children's books, including the HAPPY FAMILIES series and PLEASE MRS BUTLER, a book of school poems. Mark Williams is one of the stars of the BBC's THE FAST SHOW.
This book contains the following stories:
Burglar Bill
Everything in Burglar Bill's life is stolen, from the toast, marmalade and coffee he has for breakfast to the bed he sleeps in. One night when he is out burgling, he comes across a box with holes in the lid on a doorstep. He picks it up of course and when he gets home he discovers, to his horror, that he has stolen a baby. He and the baby muddle along together until one night he is disturbed by a burglar - Burglar Betty. She is the mother of Burglar Bill's baby. Bill and Betty decide to reform and live honest lives; they return all the stolen goods, get married and live happily ever after!
The Boyhood of Burglar Bill
Archie was a wonder dog in all our eyes. Nearly a year ago he had got run over. They found his foot in the street but the rest of him ran off. Mr Purnell mourned for a while; Mrs Purnell offered to beat the motorcyclist up or at least wreck his bike. Then, lo and behold, a fortnight later back came Archie. Coronation year, 1953. The boys from the bottom pitch - a great soup of boys - play football. When the 'Coronation Cup' is proposed, they put their heads together, pool their pocket money and get a team up. There's no chance they'll win of course. They're just the odds and sods in Mr Cork's opinion. Besides, he'd go berserk if they did; menace them with his one good arm and pulverise their desks with his cricket stump. They'd be better off losing.
This book has been nominated for the following award:
Guardian Fiction Award
This book was recognised by the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Award. This award was founded in 1967 and winners are selected by fellow writers. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above.
