It is a paperback edition with 116 pages.

From the Back Cover
"I was faster than all the kids twice my age and somehow I could always make a football d whatever I wanted it to. It just came easy to me, I don't know why, but it did." - The only thing Billy every wanted to do was to play for Chelsea. His dream came true when he was picked for the team - but that was 1939, and the Second World War began, and then Billy's life. Like everyone else's, was changed for ever. Billy's no kid now - he's eighty today. But he's got memories, such memories...

Another Morpurgo pearl, I think I love his writing style, it is my 5th Morpurgo book within 5 months .)

Update: 2010.02.16.
Dunkirk and landmine... These 2 words, the one was written in the "Dear Olly, the another was in "Escape from Shangri-La", which I read some days ago, so it was interesting to see the overlappings. From these 2 words it can be suspected that this story is not an easy one, at least emotionally. The drawings bring closer the happenings, helps to imagine, but the children at the concentration camp shocked me. At another time a sentence, which you didn't expected at all, just "BOOM!" -ed into my head, I gasped, then silence ... the effect was the same on me, as how the bombs were exploded in the story. Beautiful writing, sad, heavy storyline about Billy's life, but even in the hardest moments there is the chance for happiness.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Flying to my buddy in Young Adult Exchange Game!

Even if this book is listed as a children's book, I send it as a teens book. The cause is Morpurgo books can be read at any time, without any age limit, and I reckon its meassage can be understood for older readers. :)) Otherwise I have seen my buddy read other books from Morpurgo, so it is another one :))

Thanks for the YA package, I love the book selection and the little goodies. I've never read this Morpurgo book, but have enjoyed several of his other ones, so looking forward to this. I'll make sure it travels when I have finished with it.

In the foyer outside the librart entrance with two other books

i found it in the library in Chelmsford. But will release it maybe in the bus travelling to chelmsford