“Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney’s Greg Heffley.” —Publishers WeeklyMeet 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.
The diary-style, comic novel gets a UK makeover with this look at Tom Gates’ fifth-grade year, documenting with hilarious detail every mishap (like forgetting about class-picture day) and success (like hiding his older sister’s sunglasses in some bagged salad). The handwritten font and cartoon drawings bring Tom’s experiences to life, making his struggles and dreams immensely relatable. ... Tom’s upbeat outlook and everyday trials will have readers laughing out loud and eager for this series’ next installment.
—Booklist Online
How Tom makes peace with his teacher, Marcus Meldrow, and his sister and still gets to go to the Dude 3 concert will keep readers chuckling. Readers of Wimpy Kid books will love this series with a UK twist written by an award-winning British author.
—Library Media Connection
Will be enjoyed by those who can’t get enough of Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. The engaging illustrations are plentiful and will delight avid and reluctant readers alike.
—School Library Journal
Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney’s Greg Heffley. ... The book is typeset in a handwritten-looking font, accompanied by Tom’s doodles and text that he’s embellished for emphasis. ... [R]eaders who like their fiction heavily illustrated and their heroes mischievous should find it diverting.
—Publishers Weekly
We like Tom and the exuberant way he illustrates his account of himself with little drawings and embellishments, and we sympathize with his efforts to conjure a dynamic logo for DogZombies, the band he has formed with his friend Derek. ... Life occasionally doles out difficulty to Tom Gates. ... Our hero may be mortified, but readers ages 9 to 12 won't mind a bit.
—The Wall Street Journal
