Find Another Book

Book details

The brilliant world of Tom Gates

Liz Pichon - Author

Expect school and homework mishaps, Tom's excuses, and his attempts to impress Amy. His exercise-book entries mix written thoughts with doodles and cartoons.

More about this book

“Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney’s Greg Heffley.” —Publishers Weekly Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff. 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.

Add to Compare Explore

Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Diary form· ExplainedDoodles and cartoons· ExplainedHumour· Explained

Consider

Social conflictFamily disruptionPoverty is one of the serious issues the book tackles.

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

diary formdoodles and cartoonshumour

FictionIllustrated book

Themes in Context

Diary entries and doodles

Tom's exercise book brings together his thoughts, cartoons and doodles, with comments from his teacher.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The illustrated diary format presents the story through Tom's own written and drawn entries, giving the book a visibly personal, comic mode of storytelling.

Talk about: How do the doodles and Tom's written comments shape your impression of his school life?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The diary format and comic, doodle-filled presentation may appeal to a reader who enjoys a character's own account of school life and everyday misadventures.

What Deserves Attention

Bullying, poverty and difficult family circumstances are mentioned alongside the comic tone. Consider whether those subjects might merit a check-in with your reader.

A Conversation Worth Having

What do you make of Tom's reasons for late homework, and whether his attempts to impress Amy affect the way he approaches schoolwork?

Reading Approach

Try reading a few diary entries together, pausing over the cartoons as well as the words. This can help your reader follow Tom's voice and notice what the pictures add.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Diary entries and doodles: The available details do not establish how the illustrations and diary entries develop across the whole book.

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates - Liz Pichon - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Diary entries and doodles

The brilliant world of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon | Open Library