Tom Gates – The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

Liz Pichon's The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is a laugh-out-loud school story for 9 year olds, told through Tom's doodles as much as his words.

What happens

It's the first day back after the summer and Tom is running late (as usual). Then Mr Fullerman moves all the desks. Tom ends up right at the front, close enough to see up his teacher's nose.

On one side is Amy Porter, who he'd very much like to impress. On the other is Marcus Meldrew, who keeps reading over his shoulder. Tom writes about him anyway (in capitals).

This is the very first Tom Gates book, so you meet everyone here. There's Derek, his best mate and next-door neighbour. There's big sister Delia, who gets the brunt of most of his tricks. The two boys have a band called DOGZOMBIES (they're not very good yet).

Then Tom finds out his favourite band, DUDE3, are coming to play in town! He needs Dad to buy tickets, which means best behaviour. How hard can that be? Quite hard, it turns out. There's a homework review that never seems to get handed in, a school photo with apple skin stuck in his teeth and a portrait of Mrs Worthington that lands him in detention.

Reading it feels like flicking through Tom's own school book. The words change size on the page. BIG ones shout and little ones mutter in brackets. Doodles fill the gaps and loads of the jokes are in the pictures (the drawing of where Dad pitched the tent on their camping holiday is a good one).

There are lists, letters home and the odd packed lunch Granny Mavis makes him. Banana on a pizza, anyone? It all moves so fast that it can easily go in a sitting or two.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Tom is not a model pupil. He writes fake letters from his mum and dad, copies other people's answers and plays some fairly mean tricks on Marcus. He doesn't always get away with it and it's all played for laughs. If you'd rather your reader didn't pick up ideas, it's good to know. For lots of kids, watching someone else get into trouble is half the fun.

If you've got a reader who loves drawing, or who comes home with LOTS to say about who annoyed them today, Tom will feel like a mate.

What to read next

When they want more of Tom, Derek, Delia and the rest of Class 5F, Best Book Day Ever is in the library too. This time Tom's making a homemade costume for book week and has his eye on the prize.