Rather compelling nonetheless. Who speaks like that?I said to myself. Out loud I said, “You’vereadit?” It interested me because the boy (Alfie) has a life Pearl and turned it eternal ( well his actual age)was recently found out in the book, his age is 4320!) Alfie is not like I expected. Not a grown man in a 10 year-olds body. He is wise and has experienced a wide range of things, but being visibly no older than 10 or 11, he is not a grown-up. Alfie has never really done or experienced “grown-up things” or been through puberty. He’s also been living with his mom for a thousand years, and never had the real need of growing up further. This book was not at all what I expected. I expected a humorous, time-pass book just for entertainment. But wow, this book was so much more. This book not only had light humor, but it actually had a deep lesson, leaving me warm and fuzzy inside. The 1,000-year-old Boy is a beautiful, thrilling, moving and brilliant story that, while being targeted at a younger audience, can be read by everyone. It has interesting and complex characters and is fast-paced and easy to read. I can already see it being made into a popular children’s Hollywood movie someday very soon – it has all the elements for it.

The 1,000-year-old Boy - book written by Ross Welford

Right onto the review! So what's this book about? Well, I think it falls neatly into the YA category. The narrative POVs are all of highschool aged children, if albeit one of them is actually 1000 years old as the title suggests. The main protagonist of this story, the character whose story it is if you like, is a boy called Alve. He's living in a tumbledown cottage with his 1000 year old mother and cat, with nothing but a wireless and a bookcase for entertainment. It transpires that Alve and his mother have been living secret lives, always hiding their true age since the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The plot is exciting, thrilling and adventurous as we follow the kids on their shared quest of making Alfie mortal again. It’s a game of keeping secrets from the adults and it works very well. The kids are well-written and the chapters shift between action and information in a good pace. The ending was a typical, high-adrenaline and a little over-the-top action ending. There were life-threatening situations, evil adults and police and rescuers etc. In general, a very dangerous mission for our three little friends. Read it if Alfie: I really enjoyed Alfie! He had quite a unique personality. He was distrusting at first only trusting his Mam. However, when he met Aiden and Roxy, he was suspicious and at first, but then became more trusting and opened his heart. I found it really cool that even though Alfie was only 11 (well 1,011) he had the mindset of an adult. You could see it clearly in the writing, and it was a good touch to detail. So Alfie grew from an isolated kid-adult to a happy man/boy and more trusting. I loved him so much.There are stories about people who want to live forever. This is not one of those stories. This is a story about someone who wants to stop... Alfie Monk is like any other nearly teenage boy - except he's 1,000 years old and can remember the last Viking invasion of England. Obviously no one believes him. So when everything Alfie knows and loves is destroyed in a fire, and the modern world comes crashing in, Alfie embarks on a mission to find friendship, acceptance, and a different way to live... which means finding a way to make sure he will eventually die. Roxy: Roxy was made more of a side character, but she is my favorite character of them all. Roxy was the one who brought the three pals together. Even though she's tiny, she's creative, smart, and an incredible actress. She was the one who discovered that Alfie was a 100 years old. She was the one who Alfie trusted first. She was the one who helped save Alfie's life by "acting." I didn't see much character development in her, but her personality was amazing and totally made up for it. Roxy is an outgoing girl, willing to make friends and help out people in need. She is also very curious, and her curiosity moved the story forward, giving it more spice. A truly original read, the plot’s twists and turns are anchored by the warmth, courage and humour of its varied characters. Told from the alternate perspectives of Alfie and his new friend Aidan, brought together by the strong and funny Roxy Minto, it thoughtfully explores issues such as grief, bullying, isolation and responsibility. Alfie Monk looks like any other 11-year old boy, other than a slightly odd dress sense and teeth that are badly in need of a dentist. However, as the title suggests, he is actually 1,000-years old: frozen in time through the magic of precious life pearls. Education Shed Ltd, Severn House, Severn Bridge, Riverside North, Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK, DY12 1AB

The 1000 Year Old Boy - Ross Welford - Google Books The 1000 Year Old Boy - Ross Welford - Google Books

I was expecting something different, but this was still a good read. Once I started reading it was difficult to stop - all the characters were amazing and so likeable (especially biffa).A heartstopping, poignant, epic adventure story about a boy destined to live forever, who only wants to grow up. Writing: The writing was...eh. It was pretty good, but it was mediocre. However, I did like that Welford wrote the book in two perspectives: Alfie's and Aiden's. It was cool seeing the story in two different ways and I really enjoyed it. It was also pretty interesting reading how Alfie thought different than Aiden because of the huge age gap. The 1000-year-old Boy is a breathtakingly epic story that you won’t be able to put down. In Alfie, Ross Welford has created an unusual and fascinating boy who you are rooting for right from the first word. An original, surprising, moving and compelling read – I loved it’ M. G. Leonard, author of Beetle Boy Read it if you, like me, enjoyed The Uncommoners, A Place Called Perfect or if you like books about kids going on secret adventures without adults. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap...

The 1,000-Year-Old Boy (Audio Download): Ross Welford, Chris The 1,000-Year-Old Boy (Audio Download): Ross Welford, Chris

The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have... I really enjoyed this book. It’s not at the very top of my rating scale, but it’s a great read. Both for adults and tweens, if you like to read about what matters in life. Bringing the concept of living a long life into a tween book is not always easy, but The 1000 Year Old Boy makes it close to home. It’s a fun read too.

The astonishing, beautiful new story for all readers of 10 and over from the bestselling and Costa-shortlisted author of TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER.