World Book Day is fast approaching and many parents across the region will be turning their thoughts to costumes. The annual celebration will be marked across the world in hopes of promoting reading to children and fostering a love of books.
Many schools will encourage pupils to turn up dressed as their favourite storybook characters, whether that’s the book-loving Matilda, boy wizard Harry Potter or the remarkable Mary Poppins.
This year, the day will be celebrated on Thursday, March 2. While children across the North East will be able to celebrate uninterrupted, many children in regions further south may celebrate earlier or later as there is planned strike action.
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What is World Book Day?
World Book Day was created by UNESCO more than 25 years ago as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It hopes to raise awareness of the impact and importance of reading, with studies finding that just 10 minutes of reading a day and sharing stories with children can make a crucial difference to their future success.
Baroness Gail Rebuck, World Book Day founder, says “We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.”
What about World Book Day £1 vouchers?
So that absolutely everyone can enjoy World Book Day regardless of their background, millions of schoolchildren will be given special vouchers that enable them to take a book home. Tokens are worth £1 and allow children and young people to experience choosing a book and taking it home for free.
Participating stores include:
Asda
Blackwell’s (selected stores only)
Morrisons
Sainsbury's
Tesco
The Works
Waterstones
WHSmith
Your local independent bookseller
Check with staff at the store that they are stocking the £1 World Book Day titles and that they are accepting the vouchers.
What books can I get with my token?
This year, there are 12 titles to choose from with a variety of genres and reading levels available, these include:
Billy's Bravery by Tom Percival
Bedtime for the Burpee Bears by Joe Wicks
Lifesize Creepy Crawlies by Sophy Henn
You Choose Your Adventure by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
Dave Pigeon: Bookshop Mayhem by Swapna Haddow
Marvel Spider-Man the Amazing Pocket Guide
The Boy with Wings: Attack of the Rampaging Robot by Lenny Henry
A Dragon Realm Adventure by Katie and Kevin Tsang
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: Adventure in the Floating Mountains by L D Lapinski
Kay's Brilliant Brains by Adam Kay
Boot It! By A M Dassu
Being an Ally: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again by Shakirah Bourne and Dana Alison Levy
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