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.

About the Author
Allan Ahlberg, former teacher, postman, plumber's mate and gravedigger, is in the super-league of children's writers. He has published over a hundred children's books and is the author of the prize-winning Each Peach Pear Plum and The Jolly Postman. He has also written prize-winning fiction and poems for older readers. Allan lives in Bath.

Reviews
An exceptional piece of writing . . . comic, poignant and true. Anyone will be enriched by reading it * Sunday Times *
Affectionately downbeat . . . this artfully informal story has something for everyone -- Nicholas Tucker * Independent *
This is simply great writing, for boys or anyone else -- Brandon Robshaw * Independent *
Affectionately downbeat . . . this artfully informal story has something for everyone -- Nicholas Tucker * Independent *


Awards
Commended for Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2007.



Book Information
ISBN 9780141321424
Author Allan Ahlberg
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Puffin
Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
Weight(grams) 138g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 12mm