Synopsis:
Who wants to live forever?
Alfie is 1000 years old. He has seen Viking invasions, watched Shakespeare’s plays and experienced the horror of the Second World War. When a tragic fire occurs, Alfie must find a new way of living. With his new friends, Aidan and Roxy, he sets out on an epic, dangerous adventure to find a way to reverse the effect of the magical life-pearls, which have kept him 11 years old for 1000 years.
Themes:
Growing up, passing of time, family, friendship, loss, history, love.
Why you should read it:
I adored this complex, thrilling adventure, which is sensitively told. Its an exciting, entirely original story that is sweepingly epic in scope. The plot is action-packed and fast paced and Alfie is an appealing, compelling character. His predicament is unusual, gripping and moving and certainly made me think about what it is that makes a fulfilling, worthwhile life. The story is often very funny, but is also tinged with a wry sadness, and beautifully realised characters.
Cross-curricular links:
History (the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, WW2, Charles Dickens), English (diary writing, newspaper article about the fire, creating a new period in history for Alfie to explore) Art and photography (there’s some beautiful art to explore by Toni Luciano here. Can the children create their own in a similar style?) . You could also use the opening scenes from Disney-Pixar’s ‘Up’ to look at writing flashbacks, the passage of time and similar themes of loss and ageing.
Perfect for: Children aged 9-11. Book notes available on Authorfy.
Published by: Harper Collins Children’s Books
Also by Ross Welford:
Find out more about Ross Welford here!
Please do leave a comment if you have used this book in your own classroom and how you used it!
