Tom Gates is Absolutely Fantastic (at some things)
by Liz Pichon · Tom Gates #5
A warmly funny illustrated diary about discovering what you are genuinely good at
The story
Tom Gates keeps an illustrated diary documenting his life at school and home, where a creative writing assignment and an upcoming school activity trip become the backdrop for self-discovery. Through classroom mishaps, family chaos, and a memorable adventure away from home, Tom navigates the gap between what he thinks he can do and what he actually accomplishes.
Age verdict
Best for ages 8-10 where the self-doubt and school dynamics feel most personally relevant, but accessible from age 7 for strong readers and enjoyable through age 12 for the humor alone.
Our take
Classroom utility champion with strong creative and gateway appeal
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- Mental movie Strong
Comparable to Lunch Lady — Hand-drawn doodles and illustrations on every page carry narrative weight equal to text. Visual storytelling creates mental movie directly. Sits at anchor.
- First-chapter grab Strong
Comparable to Lunch Lady — Both open in grounded spaces with immediate character stakes. Tom's diary hook through relatable vulnerability (waking up late, classroom embarrassment) lands immediately. Sits at anchor.
Parents love
- Reading gateway Exceptional
Comparable to 5 Worlds and Frog and Toad — Illustrated diary format with doodles, conversational voice, manageable entries eliminates barriers systematically. Very close to gateway benchmark. Sits at 9.
- Creative spark Strong
Comparable to Boy at Back of Class triangulated with Brave New World — Drawing process models creativity as emotional processing, directly inspires illustrated journal replication. Sits at 8.
Teachers love
- Reluctant reader rescue Exceptional
Comparable to Dog Man triangulated with Wimpy Kid — Illustrated format with low text density, visual engagement, humor on every page, short entries eliminate barriers systematically. Gold-standard reluctant reader rescue. Sits at 9.
- Writing prompt potential Strong
Comparable to Blended — Diary format replicable, word-assignment transferable, multiple prompt types span narrative, reflective, illustrated journaling (5+ prompts). Sits at anchor.
✓ Perfect for
- • kids who love Wimpy Kid and want another illustrated diary series
- • reluctant readers who need humor and visuals to stay engaged
- • creative kids who love drawing and doodling
- • readers who enjoy British humor and school-life stories
- • kids working through self-doubt about their abilities
Not ideal for
Readers seeking high-stakes adventure, fantasy worlds, or complex mysteries — this is a warm comedy about everyday life, not an action-driven plot.
At a glance
- Pages
- 256
- Chapters
- 7
- Words
- 25k
- Lexile
- 670L
- Difficulty
- Easy
- POV
- First Person
- Illustration
- Fully Illustrated
- Published
- 2013
- Publisher
- Scholastic UK
- Illustrator
- Liz Pichon
- ISBN
- 9781407139968
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
A child who finishes this will likely want to try other Tom Gates books and may start drawing their own illustrated diary entries.
If your kid loved this
Matched across 30 dimensions — interest hooks, character appeal, tone, pacing, emotional core. Not by what other people bought. By what fits the same reader profile.
Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All
by Rachel Renée Russell
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
No Brainer
by Jeff Kinney
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
In a Class by Himself
by Lincoln Peirce
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Big Nate Lives It Up
by Lincoln Peirce
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
I Even Funnier: A Middle School Story
by James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren
by Barbara Park
Same genre (comedy). Both comedic in tone
Want more picks like this?
Get 5 hand-picked book reviews for your child's age — one email a month.