{"product_id":"9780141321424-the-boyhood-of-burglar-bill","title":"The Boyhood of Burglar Bill","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArchie 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAllan Ahlberg's \u003ci\u003eThe Boyhood of Burglar Bill\u003c\/i\u003e 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\u003ci\u003e Peepo!\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eEach Peach, Pear Plum\u003c\/i\u003e, illustrated by Janet Ahlberg.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eArchie 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eCoronation 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Boyhood of Burglar Bill is the second in a sequence of stories in which Allan Ahlberg explores his own childhood. \u003ci\u003eMy Brother's Ghost\u003c\/i\u003e, shortlisted for the \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e Children's Fiction Prize, was the first. \u003cbr\u003eAllan Ahlberg has published books for children of all ages from the picture books \u003ci\u003ePeepo!\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEach Peach, Pear, Plum,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Jolly Postman\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eFunnybones\u003c\/i\u003e series - illustrated by Janet Ahlberg - to his books for older readers including \u003ci\u003eWoof!\u003c\/i\u003e and his books of verse: \u003ci\u003ePlease Mrs. Butler\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Heard it in the Playground.    \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56449625293174,"sku":"9780141321424","price":7.01,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_32337652.jpg?v=1760446197","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780141321424-the-boyhood-of-burglar-bill","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}