Genius Ideas (mostly) is volume 4 of Liz Pichon’s illustrated Tom Gates series. “Seeing Delia without her sunglasses on is a BIG shock, but that’s nothing compared with the surprise Dad has in store for me with his new found fitness regime. He says he’s going to compete at my Sport’s Day. Shame! Meanwhile Derek, Norman and I keep practicing in DOGZOMBIES so we’re really ready for the school Talent Show.”
What happens in this book?
“Seeing Delia without her sunglasses on is a BIG shock, but that’s nothing compared with the surprise Dad has in store for me with his new found fitness regime. He says he’s going to compete at my Sport’s Day. Shame! Meanwhile Derek, Norman and I keep practicing in DOGZOMBIES so we’re really ready for the school Talent Show.”
The pleasure is less about a perfectly tidy plot than about watching Tom turn an ordinary problem into lists, excuses, songs and increasingly complicated plans. Familiar characters and recurring jokes reward readers following the series, while the central situation is clear enough for the book to work on its own.
Why the format works
Liz Pichon writes and illustrates the story as if we were looking through Tom’s own notebook. Doodles, arrows, changing type sizes and visual jokes do narrative work: they show how Tom edits reality in his head and make the reading rhythm quick and varied.
At around 320 pages, the number may look substantial, but the page design is far less dense than a conventional novel. That makes the series a useful bridge for children who enjoy comics but hesitate before longer prose fiction.
The illustrations are not decoration added after the story: they are part of Tom’s voice and often deliver the punchline.
What readers tend to like
Reader responses consulted through Goodreads and bookseller review pages repeatedly highlight the approachable layout, recognisable school-and-family comedy and the feeling of finishing a long book surprisingly quickly. Music, friendship and Tom’s imperfect decision-making give children several ways into the story.
Less enthusiastic readers sometimes find the repeated excuses, sibling teasing or intentionally messy narration tiring. That is a fair dividing line: this is strongest for readers who enjoy an unreliable, distractible protagonist rather than a model pupil.
Who is it for?
- Independent readers around 9–12 who enjoy school comedy.
- Children who prefer illustrated, visually varied pages to dense blocks of prose.
- Fans of diary-style fiction, comics and recurring series.
- Families looking for a light book that can build reading momentum.
Verdict
Genius Ideas (mostly) keeps the series accessible without making it empty. The comedy comes from small, recognisable problems; the visual storytelling keeps the pages moving; and Tom remains funny precisely because his plans are never as brilliant as he thinks.
Book details
| Title | Genius Ideas (mostly) |
|---|---|
| Series | Tom Gates, book 4 |
| Author and illustrator | Liz Pichon |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| ISBN | 9781407193465 |
| Language | English |
| Publication | 2019-01-03 |
| Length | 320 pages |
| Format | Paperback / illustrated |
| Suggested age | 9–12 years |
| Guide price | £5.49 from Scholastic (checked 14 August 2026) |
Sources checked
- Scholastic Shop: official description, edition data and guide price.
- Open Library: bibliographic cross-check by ISBN.
- Goodreads search for this title: reader-response patterns; no quotation or score is reproduced without an edition-specific check.
