Tom Gates: The Second Brilliant Set (9 to 17) By Liz Pichon

The top-selling U.K. Series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond! Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer’s worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. Tom’s teachers think he is easily distracted and “lacks focus,” but that’s a bit harsh — can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for School (again), or that last Night’s homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is to get kids turning the pages — and keep them laughing.