View source for Tom Gates: Excellent Excuses and Other Good Stuff by Liz Pichon

{{infobox1
|title=Tom Gates: Excellent Excuses and Other Good Stuff
|author=Liz Pichon
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=The second book in the Tom Gates series follows the comic-style format and will appeal to boys - including the reluctant reader.  It's great fun and despite seeming a little anarchic, right always prevails.  Definitely recommended
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=346
|publisher=Scholastic
|date=September 2011
|isbn=978-1407124407
|website=http://www.lizpichon.co.uk/books/books.htm
|cover=1407124404
|aznuk=1407124404
|aznus=1407124404
}}

Those who met Tom Gates in the [[The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon|first book]] in this award-winning series will know that the year five lad needs no introduction, but even if you missed that book there's no need to worry.  This second book reads well as a stand-alone and is just as funny and entertaining.  Most of the same characters appear - from Tom's Mum and Dad and his sister Delia, his teacher Mr Fullerman and classmates Marcus Meldrew and Amy Porter.  It's Mr Fulleman's awards chart which is the focus of attention this time as Tom is determined to get to the top, but Marcus Meldrew is up to no good and Tom has a toothache.  It's so bad that he can't concentrate on drawing in class.

It's the same comic-style mix of drawings and minimal text which we met in the first book in the series and it really is going to appeal to reluctant readers.  It's a thick book at over 340 pages but a speedy read and it's going to give a real sense of achievement to the emerging reader.  Tom is just sufficiently anarchic to appeal to the young boy - there's definitely nothing in here which preaches about how a lad ought to behave - but those who deserve a comeuppance get one and right generally prevails.  Liz Pichon doesn't appear to be delivering a message at all - but every adult is going to like the results!

It's a fun read that's going to appeal to boys (and possibly even a few girls) in the mid- to upper-tween age range.  I'd be more than happy to buy the book as it does have re-readability and although it appears to be very up-to-the-moment there are few if any cultural references which will make it seems dated before many years are out.  It's definitely recommended.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you haven't seen the first book in the series - [[The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon|The Brilliant World of Tom Gates]] - now would be a good time to get hold of a copy. We can also recommend [[The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman and David Roberts]] were the kids get one (or more) over on their teacher.

We pass our review copies on to a local school and the teacher tells me that the boys are getting '''a lot''' out of all the Tom Gates books.

[[Liz Pichon's Tom Gates Books in Chronological Order]]

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[[Category:Emerging Readers]]