Classics · Tom Gates
Tom Gates: what age are the books for?
4 min read3 sources
Tom Gates writes, doodles and daydreams his way through school, and his books look like a notebook. Since 2011 they've become a favourite of children who say they don't like reading.
Here's what age BookTrust gives, and why the format works so well.
In brief
What the books are about
Tom avoids homework, annoys his older sister, draws on everything and dreams of making it big with his band. The books are his notes and doodles, with handwritten lettering, lists and drawings on every page.
There's no big adventure. What carries the books is Tom's humour and the feeling of reading someone's private notebook.
Who Tom Gates is for
At nine, a book to read alone. Both ages BookTrust gives start at nine. The short bits of text between drawings make even a thick book feel quick.
For reluctant readers. A child who finds a page of solid text daunting often reads Tom Gates without noticing. Any book that gets them reading counts.
Younger fans. Many younger children want Tom Gates because older friends read it. Reading it together works; the jokes about school land best from about eight or nine.
A book token. On World Book Day, the first Thursday in March in the UK and Ireland, schools hand out book tokens.3 A new Tom Gates is a popular choice.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Tom Gates for?
BookTrust gives The Brilliant World of Tom Gates an interest age of 9 to 11 and a reading age of 9+. It's a series most children read alone from nine.
Is Tom Gates good for a 7 year old?
The ages BookTrust gives start at nine. Some younger children enjoy it read together, especially if older friends love it; the school humour works best a little later.
Is Tom Gates good for reluctant readers?
Many children who avoid books read Tom Gates: the pages are full of doodles and short bits of text, so even a thick book feels quick.
When did the first Tom Gates book come out?
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, by Liz Pichon, was published by Scholastic in 2011.
Sources
- 1.BookTrust Bookfinder: The Brilliant World of Tom Gates.What it confirms: Interest age 9 to 11, reading age 9+; Scholastic, 2011.
- 2.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
- 3.World Book Day: World Book Day 2027 announcements.What it confirms: World Book Day 2027 on Thursday 4 March in the UK and Ireland; the first Thursday in March, separate from UNESCO's day on 23 April; children dress up, schools hand out book tokens.
A word about us
A book that feels like theirs
Tom Gates feels like reading a friend's notebook. Children love books that feel personal.
At Sagalino, your child becomes the hero of a story with their name, in one of our 21 illustration styles. You read the whole story for free, and only pay afterwards.
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