School life is all about studies and exams, success and failure, but with all this, school life also has a fun side, too! At times, it gets messy and a little dramatic. However, the best part is that we love all of it and always remember those moments for the rest of our lives.

Interestingly, I came across a website that captures this mix of chaos and fun — theworldoftomgates.com. It’s all about Tom Gates, the main character, a schoolboy from Liz Pichon’s bestselling children’s series. Tom is a boy who’d much rather doodle in his notebook, play with his band DogZombies and come up with excuses than focus in class.

Theworldoftomgates is the official website for the Tom Gates books and everything related to them. I haven’t read the books, but the moment I opened the site, I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t stop myself from jumping from one section to another in total excitement. Maybe it’s because the site is so bright, doodly and colourful.

The website is very simple to navigate; you don’t really need instructions, just click the menu and explore. The main menu is at the top, from where you can choose different sections like Books, Fun Stuff, News and Events; there is also a section about Liz Pichon, the writer of the book. The homepage itself gives you a quick look at the newest books and some updates, so you don’t get lost; it’s pretty clear what the site is about.

Out of all the sections, “Fun Stuff” is probably the most attractive, with downloads, doodles, bookmarks and challenges. It opens into a page full of little boxes, each with a picture and a title like “Draw Grumpy Delia” or “Make Your Own Bookmark.” It’s not interactive like a game, but it gives you plenty of activities you can do on your own.

There are also pages about live shows, TV series and other events. The books section is helpful if you’re new to Tom Gates, because it shows all the titles with the covers.

All the content on the website is safe and creative for kids of all ages; it encourages reading, drawing and using one’s imagination instead of just staring at the screen. If you already know Tom Gates, then you will enjoy it more, but even if you don’t know the character, like me, it still offers fun, simple and knowledge-filled activities to try.

Want to be part of the chaos? Check: www.theworldoftomgates.com

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 20th, 2025