The 1,000-year-old Boy

The 1,000-year-old Boy
Ross Welford

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.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.

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2018

Published in this ebook edition in 2018

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The HarperCollins Children’s Books website address is

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Text copyright © Ross Welford 2018

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

Cover illustration © Tom Clohosy Cole

Ross Welford asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Source ISBN: 9780008256944

Ebook Edition © December 2017 ISBN: 9780008256951

Version: 2017-12-13

Praise for The 1,000-year-old Boy (#u2dc64084-8d5f-5437-b932-9f3ddf1bbed9):

‘Boasts all the ingredients of a great book: brave kids, bold storytelling and a blistering plot. Full of humour and heart’ Abi Elphinstone, author of The Dreamsnatcher

‘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

‘A wonderful story told with Welford’s trademark warmth, wit and cleverness. Another great read from one of my favourite middle-grade writers’ Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars

‘A cracking story about family and friendship that spans all ages’ Christopher Edge, author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

‘Delightful, charming and filled with humour. This is a unique and uplifting tale of a boy who lives a thousand years, yet still remains young at heart’ Peter Bunzl, author of the Cogheart Adventures

Contents

Cover (#ub1d16521-91bc-5683-aafe-30f997a55376)

Title Page (#ueb9cdc2b-c31e-5e67-84de-04225d343c55)

Copyright (#u7d3a86db-6037-5439-b400-fcf17a113e9c)

Praise for The 1,000-year-old-Boy

Part One

Alfie

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Aidan

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen