Updated on December 8, 2025
A day in the life of Burglar Bill
Imagine you are Burglar Bill and you are keeping a digital diary. Write a comment below the post describing one day in his life — the events, his thoughts and his feelings.
Find 1-2 pictures to add to the digital diary, or even record your voice to bring your diary to life! You can save your pictures or audio files on a USB stick.
| Step 1
Think and discuss! |
When does he get home? What does he carry in his bag? What does Burglar Bill do in the morning? What does he eat? What does he do with the things he took? Does he meet anyone during the day? What is the weather like, and does it affect what he does? Does anything surprising happen to him today? What problem does he face, and how does he solve it? What does he think or worry about? What does he hope for? What does he plan to do that night? |
| Step 2
Make a graphic organiser!
|
Places, Actions, Feelings, Objects from the book |
| Step 3
Use sentence starters, word banks, and dictionaries for support! |
I walk back home early in the morning and… I feel tired because… I look at the things I bring home and… I sometimes feel… I feel happy when… I walk around the house and I see… I check my bag and I find… walk home, sneak / creep, make tea, eat breakfast, look around, check my bag, carry things, open a tin, sit down, fall asleep, yawn, think / wonder, feel tired in the morning, in my house, with my bag, in the kitchen, on my chair, because I am tired, with toast and beans, with my black teapot tired, hungry, proud, curious, worried, surprised, lonely, guilty, happy |
Here is an example!
Hello, diary!
It's just after sunrise and I am going home! My bag is heavy tonight, and I feel proud of my “collections,” but also a bit nervous. I hope nobody sees me!
When I get home, I switch on my black teapot because I really want a cup of tea. While the tea is boiling, I make my breakfast: a slice of toast, some marmalade, and a bit of date-and-walnut cake.
After breakfast, I look around my house. Everything is quiet. I feel a little lonely, but at the same time I feel safe in my small home. I think about the people I "borrowed" things from tonight. Maybe they are waking up now and wondering where their things went. I feel a bit guilty, to be honest.
Now I can’t stay awake any longer. I sit in my favourite chair with my cup of tea. My eyes close, and I fall asleep. Another day — or night — of being Burglar Bill begins and ends just like that.
Goodnight… or maybe good morning!
27 Comments on “A day in the life of Burglar Bill”
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My dear diary, today I woke up and when I went to eat the toast with jam I saw that the jam was finished. Then I went to brush my teeth and my toothbrush was in the white and black hairs my cat had left on it. Then I understood that my strike had to end. I’ll go to work tonight, get what I need, I’ll tell you tomorrow what I get.
Fantastic piece of writing, Angelina. Do you really mean that BB was on strike? That he has stopped working to protest for some reason? And if yes, what is the reason?
My dear diary, today I woke up and when I went to eat the toast with jam I saw that the jam was finished. Then I went to brush my teeth and my toothbrush was in the white and black hairs my cat had left on it. Then I understood that my break from work had to end. I’ll go to work tonight, get what I need, I’ll tell you tomorrow what I get.
My dear diary, I woke up and when I went to have my breakfast, I wanted a cup of tea. I am going to steal some. After breakfast and stealing some tea, I went to brush my teeth. Then I went to work .
Good job describing Burglar Bill’s morning! Try adding more details about his feelings or thoughts.
We read in the book that Burglar Bill has breakfast and then goes upstairs to sleep in his stolen bed. He has supper before going to work. So, you may want to fix this.
My dear diary.
When I woke up today it was already dark outside.I had to get ready for work. I brushed my teeth and went to the kitchen to have supper. I had fish and chips and a cup of stolen coffee.Then I grabbed my sack and went off to work.
A day as usual for BB! Nice writing, Jim!
Dear diary.
Every day I get up and I brush my teeth. Then I put on my clothes. Before I leave for work I have supper. I eat stolen fish and chips and a cup of stolen tea . When I eat I wonder what houses I am going to break into tonight. Then I play with my cat for some time. Afterwards I set off to work.
Dear Diary!
I woke up and ate a chocolate, then went to brush my teeth, but I saw I didn’t have a toothbrush. So I picked up my sack to go and steal a toothbrush. I was very happy because, well… I do like stealing things.
The weather is hot and cold at the same time. Now I am ready to go to my work stealing things because I don’t have a toothbrush, but when I go out, the police officer look at me curiously. I go to my house to put on some colourful clothes but it’s too late the town clock strikes 5. I feel tired because all night I did nothing and I am angry too. I ate another chocolate and I still couldn’t brush my teeth because I didn’t have a toothbrush. So I went to bed and slept all day.
My dear diary,in the morning I woke up at 11o’clock and I had breakfast toast and marmalade.
My dear diary,in the morning I woke up at 11o’clock and I had breakfast toast and marmalade.After that I went to break into a house and I wanted to steal a Christmas tree.
But I made aloud noise and the police caught me.After then I went to prison.From now on I’m going to lead a honest life,I will not steal again.
My dear diary!
When the night comes I’m going to steal another house.
When I put in my sack a tin of beans, suddenly opens the light of the kitchen and a woman see me. This moment I feel very worried and scared, because the woman call the police. I run and hide myself in the loft. Thankfully, the policeman don’t find me.
After a long time time, I return with my sack empty but safe. I feel very tired and my eyes close and I fall asleep.
Good night!
Hello diary!
I just came back from work and I am very upset! Yesterday night, when I tried to steal the Christmas presents in a house (under the Christmas tree!!), a boy found me and started to cry! When I looked at his eyes, I remembered my childhood days. I remembered when I was a small child and no one brought me Christmas presents…and dear diary, I will tell you one of my secrets: this is the reason that I became a burglar: TO GET WHAT I WANT. Finally, I didn’t steal the presents because when I saw the boy something crashed inside me.
Now I sit on my comfortable bed and I wondered what to do keep on stealing things or live an honest life?
But now It’ s time to sleep good night or good morning diary!
My dear diary,
Yesterday I went to bed early, but as soon as I lay on it, it broke down and I hurt my back. So I had to go around and steal a new bed. I found a brand new one in the house of the chief of the police. I did not notice that he was sleeping on it, so I took the bed along with him. When I reached my house, I put the bed in my bedroom, but, to my surprise, I woke up the policeman! Now I am in jail. I have be careful what I steal.
BB
Dear diary,
today i woke up at 7 o’clock and brush my teeth, then I go to eat something, at 7:15 i go to steal a house at the house was a small black box with big holes in it i see it i says i have that then i go home to open the small black box with big holes in it and i see a plate with fish and chips and i eat it then i go to my bed to sleep
good night🥱😴
Here is a corrected version:
Dear diary,
Today I wake up at 7 o’clock and I brush my teeth. Then I eat something. At 7:15 I go to steal from a house. In the house there is a small black box with big holes in it. I see it and I say, “I’ll have that!”
Then I go home to open the small black box with big holes in it, and I see a plate with fish and chips inside. I eat it and then I go to my bed to sleep.
Good night.
I woke up at 10 o’clock instead of 12 because a strange noise woke me up. I went downstairs, and then the lights turned off. I thought I saw a shadow running through the house, and for a moment I felt scared.
Seriously now? Blow me down! There is a burglar in my house! I couldn’t believe it!
A person with a mask suddenly started chasing me around the house. I shouted at him, “Get out of here! You can’t steal other people’s property! You should go to prison—I’m calling the police right now!”
But before I finished my words, I realised that I was also a burglar… and nothing in my house was actually mine! So I changed my mind and told him to take everything and go find the magic of Christmas by getting an honest job! I should do the same… or maybe not…
Wow! What a story! Funny and dramatic!
Dear diary
It’s already morning and I’ve just come home. My bag is full of stolen things. I’m excited… but also a bit stressed in case someone saw me.
Right now I feel hungry, so I’m going to make a cup of tea and a slice of toast with marmalade.
Last night I went to steal from a bank. It was difficult, but I did it. I got in through a window and found the safe in the basement. I opened it and stole a lot of money.
I was very nervous, but also happy because I found so much money.
When I got outside, I saw a policeman and got scared. Thank goodness he didn’t see me, so I ran home quickly to hide.
Now I feel very tired, so I’m going to sleep.
Good night 😴
Great storytelling and clear sequence of events!
Hello diary!
I walk back home early in the morning and I am excited, but I also feel tired, because all night I was working and carried my bag with stolen things. I look at the things I bring home and find a mixer. Then I think making a smoothie to drink.
I walk around the house and I hear a noise inside my bag. I check my bag and find a cat. I am scared and surprised too. The cat is very cute and friendly, so I decide to keep it in my house. Now I have a new friend!
Good morning, but now I go to sleep, because I am very tired.
Great ideas and a clear sequence of events!
Hello diary !
Today I woke up from a long sleep,I drank a hot chocolate and i was ready for my day plan. I dress up my clothes and i went to a house with many intresting things to steal
I stoal all of this things , I went also on a one more house and I stoal some food. beacause i cant survive without food. I finish my work! I think the best think to
I can do is to bring this thinks back but my work is to be a burglar, thats means to i never
bring this things.
Hello,diary
Ι get home after work in the morning. Ι carry stolen things in my bag.
In the morning I sleep and I wake up in the night.
In the evening I eat and then go to work. When I finish work, I go back to sleep
Good night BB
Dear diary,
I wake up in my tall house filled with all the the things I have stolen. Every night I go out to steal new things like hats to big boxes. One night, I see a strange box on someone’s doorstep and put it in my bag, thinking it contains something valuable. When I get home, I open the box- and to my surprise, there is a baby inside! I didn’t mean to take the baby, but now i have to look after it and figure out what to do next…
Emmelia, here is a simpler version you could write yourself:
It is 7 o’clock in the evening and I wake up in my tall house. Then, I go out and steal new things, like hats and big boxes.
When the clock strikes 5, I see a strange box on a doorstep. I take it home.
When I get home, I open the box. I am very surprised. There is a baby inside!
I do not want to steal a baby. Now I must take care of the baby and think what to do next.
This is Aristea’s entry:
My dear diary, tonight i broke in to 16 houses ,i also found a big brown box. What i didn’t know was that a baby was in that box.when i realised that it was i there i took care of it and then we went to sleep , but while i was sleeping i heard some loud noises in my kitchen ,i went down and i saw this woman wearing all black and white clothes . Turns out she was really nice her name was Burglar Betty and that baby was hers.We decided to get married and we gave back all the things we stole and i became a baker, so now i’m Bakery Bill . Love BB