The brilliant world of Tom Gates

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Title:

The brilliant world of Tom Gates

Author:

Pichon, Liz, author.

Series:

Tom Gates ;

Series Number:

Summary:

Tom Gates is the master of excuses for late homework: dog attacks, spilt water, lightening. Tom's exercise book is full of his doodles, cartoons and thoughts, as well as comments from his long-suffering teacher, Mr Fullerton. After gaining five merits for his 'Camping Sucks' holiday story, Tom's work starts to go downhill, which is a pity, as he's desperate to impress Amy Porter, who sits next to him.

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Physical Description:

238 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm.

Genre:

Diary fiction.

Humorous fiction.

Subject Term:

Schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Homework -- Juvenile fiction.

Excuses -- Juvenile fiction.

Misadventures -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Candlewick Press,

Publication Date:

2014

ISBN:

9780763674724

Publication Information:

Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2014.

Call Number:

J PICHON

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003628529	Juvenile Fiction	PICHON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

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Summary

The top-selling U.K. series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond!

Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don't have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer's worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus Meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. All Tom really wants is to score tickets to see the best band ever, Dude3, when they come to town, and to impress Amy Porter, who is very nice and smart (but is currently ignoring him). Tom's teachers think he is easily distracted and "lacks focus," but that's a bit harsh -- can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for school (again), or that last night's homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is guaranteed to get kids turning the pages -- and keep them laughing.

Author Notes

L. Pichon says that when she was little, she loved to draw, and her mom said she was very good at making a mess (this is still true today). She kept drawing, went to art school, became a designer and art director at Jive Records, and began to publish children's books. After its publication in the U.K., The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won several prestigious awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, and the Blue Peter Book Award. L. Pichon lives in Brighton, England, with her family.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-5-Fifth-grader Tom Gates has a lot of negatives in his life. His older sister annoys him and he retaliates by playing tricks on her. His teachers assign too much homework and when he runs out of time to do it he offers over-the-top, fantastical excuses for why it's not done. Adding to these issues, his family has many mishaps, like failed camping trips and the dog chewing up his tickets to a rock concert. Tom endures it all with his penchant for doodling and writing about everything that happens. For example, whenever the teachers focus on him in class he creates doodles of them staring at him with their "beady eyes." This helps him feel better. His self-centered storytelling is over-the-top but will be enjoyed by those who can't get enough of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (Abrams/Amulet). The engaging illustrations are plentiful and will delight avid and reluctant readers alike. This title was originally published in the United Kingdom; some British words and phrases are sprinkled throughout. A humorous glossary explaining the Briticisms is appended.-Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

From his penchant for doodling to his myopic self-interest, fifth-year student Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney's Greg Heffley. In Tom's first novel, published in the U.K. in 2011 (where it won a Waterstones Children's Book Prize and a Roald Dahl Funny Prize), he recounts his ongoing antagonism of his older sister, Delia; his attempts to see his favorite band, Dude3, perform in town; and various family and school-day mishaps, including a disastrous camping trip, inedible meals cooked by his grandparents (aka "the Fossils"), and joining the school choir. The book is typeset in a handwritten-looking font, accompanied by Tom's doodles and text that he's embellished for emphasis. A glossary explains the Briticisms Tom uses throughout: " 'Rumbled!' basically means 'I'm busted!' " explains a tiny cartoon of Tom's head-it's a phrase he has reason to deploy more than once. Truly laugh-out-loud moments are few and far between, but readers who like their fiction heavily illustrated and their heroes mischievous should find it diverting enough. Ages 8-12. Agent: Caroline Walsh, David Higham Associates. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.