SuitabookTom Gates: Family, Friends and Furry Creatures
Liz Pichon
- Reading
- Read it as a light comic story, pausing to discuss the cartoons and Tom’s project. Afterward, invite the reader to compare the family names and stories with respectful ways families talk about one another.
- Themes
- School embarrassment and comic mishaps: Tom forgets his baby photograph, his shoes make rude noises, and Amber sneezes over him as he hurries to class. The incidents are framed as comic obstacles in Tom’s school day; the extract does not establish whether the story treats their consequences as harmless, upsetting or instructive.
- Family stories and unexpected information: Tom’s research reveals that his grandparents have different names from his nicknames, his father has a secret about Uncle Kevin and a footballer, and his parents’ relationship began through cake. Family history is a central discovery in Tom’s project, but the extract does not show whether the revelations are affirmed, challenged or emotionally resolved.
- Worth knowing
- The comedy includes bodily and social embarrassment: rude-sounding shoes, sneezing and rushing into class. Family revelations are also part of the story, though their emotional weight and the ending are unclear.