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Revision as of 10:20, 7 August 2020
, 10:20, 7 August 2020no edit summary
|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 depite despite seeming a little anarchic, right always prevails. Definitely recommended
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
}}
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 class mates 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 tooth achea 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!
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]]
{{amazontext|amazon=1407124404}}
