The Boyhood of Burglar Bill

<p>Allan Ahlberg's <i>The Boyhood of Burglar Bill</i> 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<i> Peepo!</i> and <i>Each Peach, Pear Plum</i>, illustrated by Janet Ahlberg.<br><br><b>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. <br><br></b>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.<br><br>The Boyhood of Burglar Bill is the second in a sequence of stories in which Allan Ahlberg explores his own childhood. <i>My Brother's Ghost</i>, shortlisted for the <i>Guardian</i> Children's Fiction Prize, was the first. <br>Allan Ahlberg has published books for children of all ages from the picture books <i>Peepo!</i>, <i>Each Peach, Pear, Plum,</i> <i>The Jolly Postman</i> and the <i>Funnybones</i> series - illustrated by Janet Ahlberg - to his books for older readers including <i>Woof!</i> and his books of verse: <i>Please Mrs. Butler</i> and<i> Heard it in the Playground. </i></p> <p>Allan Ahlberg's <i>The Boyhood of Burglar Bill</i> 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<i> Peepo!</i> and <i>Each Peach, Pear Plum</i>, illustrated by Janet Ahlberg.<br><br><b>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. <br><br></b>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.<br><br>The Boyhood of Burglar Bill is the second in a sequence of stories in which Allan Ahlberg explores his own childhood. <i>My Brother's Ghost</i>, shortlisted for the <i>Guardian</i> Children's Fiction Prize, was the first. <br>Allan Ahlberg has published books for children of all ages from the picture books <i>Peepo!</i>, <i>Each Peach, Pear, Plum,</i> <i>The Jolly Postman</i> and the <i>Funnybones</i> series - illustrated by Janet Ahlberg - to his books for older readers including <i>Woof!</i> and his books of verse: <i>Please Mrs. Butler</i> and<i> Heard it in the Playground. </i></p>