Tom Gates Series

Tom Gates is a series of illustrated chapter books that follow an imaginative middle school student through his daily adventures. The books feature a diary-style format with doodles, sketches, and hand-drawn text integrated throughout the narrative. Tom spends his days trying to avoid homework, drawing in his notebooks, eating snacks, and playing in his band Dog Zombies with his best friend Derek. His interactions with his family, particularly his annoying older sister Delia, and various teachers at school drive much of the plot development. Each book contains standalone storylines while maintaining ongoing elements like Tom's relationship with classmate Amy Porter and his periodic conflicts with Marcus Meldrew. The writing incorporates lists, comic strips, and visual elements that bring Tom's perspective to life. The series explores themes of friendship, creativity, and navigating the challenges of school and family life with humor and authenticity. Through Tom's experiences, readers encounter relatable situations handled with wit and imagination.

Readers describe the Tom Gates series as engaging for reluctant young readers, with many parents noting their children read these books independently after struggling with other series. The illustration-heavy format and humorous diary entries appeal particularly to 7-12 year olds. Likes: - Doodles and drawings make reading less intimidating - Relatable school and family situations - Success getting boys interested in reading - Short chapters maintain attention Dislikes: - Some parents find the humor too focused on pranks/mischief - Vocabulary stays basic throughout series - Later books become repetitive - Main character can come across as disrespectful Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (30,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (8,000+ ratings) Common Sense Media: 4/5 "Perfect for Wimpy Kid fans looking for something new" appears frequently in reviews. Multiple teachers report using the books to help struggling readers transition to chapter books.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney A middle-school boy navigates school drama and family life through illustrated journal entries with stick-figure drawings.

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce This comic-style series follows an eleven-year-old boy who creates art and schemes while dealing with teachers, detention, and school rivals.

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths Two friends live in a treehouse and write books about their misadventures, featuring drawings and cartoons throughout.

My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian A reluctant reader spends summer vacation drawing stick figures to help understand words while uncovering a family mystery.

Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis An 11-year-old boy runs a detective agency with his imaginary polar bear partner, documenting cases with comics and illustrations.

🎨 The series was initially inspired by Liz Pichon's own doodles and drawings in her school notebooks when she was young. 📚 Tom Gates books have been translated into 45 languages and have sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. 🏆 The first book in the series, "The Brilliant World of Tom Gates," won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2011. ✏️ Author Liz Pichon has dyslexia and deliberately designs her books with dyslexic readers in mind, using special fonts and layouts to make them more accessible. 🎭 The series has been adapted into a successful stage musical called "Tom Gates Live on Stage!" which toured throughout the UK.