
Stuff Happens: Tom
Author: Pat Flynn
Author: Susannah McFarlane
Book 9 in the Stuff Happens series
Pages: 96
Published: 2015
Age: 7+
Stuff happens sometimes. Everyday stuff. At school, at home, with sport, with mates. For Tom it happened during a tennis match.
Tom Connors is a very good tennis player. When it comes to hitting a ball over a net he can do it better than almost anyone else his age, including the state-ranked Zac Zepharis who trains at the same club as Tom and also goes to Monvale Primary. Tom's problem is that he struggles to control his nerves in a match, particularly on his serve. His left arm seems to have a mind of its own and he can't even toss the ball up straight, let alone hit the serve powerfully into a corner of the box like Zac can. Tom was fine until six months ago when he held match point against Zac in the club championship, only to serve a double fault and lose the match. He thinks about this loss all the time, and ever since his serve and game have got progressively worse. Can Tom find a way to overcome his nerves?
About the Stuff Happens Series
Books in series order
- 1.Stuff Happens: Jack(2014)
- 2.Stuff Happens: Ned(2014)
- 3.Stuff Happens: Sean(2014)
- 4.Stuff Happens: Michael(2014)
- 5.Stuff Happens: Fadi(2015)
- 6.Stuff Happens: Ethan(2015)
- 7.Stuff Happens: Cooper(2015)
- 8.Stuff Happens: Lennie(2015)
- 9.Stuff Happens: Tom(2015)
- 10.Stuff Happens: Harry(2015)
- 11.Stuff Happens: Dale(2016)
- 12.Stuff Happens: Luke(2016)
Reading age: 7+ years
Stuff Happens is an important new series for boys about everyday challenges. Created by Susannah McFarlane, the series is written by established authors such as authors Tony Wilson, Andrew Daddo, Philip Gwynne, Will Kostakis, Oliver Phommavanh, Scot Gardner, Justin D'Ath and James Roy. Each book features a different character and follows them as they overcome a particular everyday challenge.
Aimed at boys aged between 7 and 11, the Stuff Happens series explores those everyday struggles in life that boys can sometimes be reluctant to express: quarrels with mates, a bad day at school, fear of disappointing mum and dad, rejection and not fitting in.
Stuff Happens. Real-life stories about boys. Suitable for beginner and newly confident readers.
