World Book Day 2021: Everything you need to know
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World book day is a worldwide celebration of all things surrounding books and reading for kids. In a world that is constantly being upgraded with new technologies that tightly grip the attention of young people, simply reading a book for pleasure has never been more crucial.
World Book Day says;
"Reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents' educational background or their income".
First initiated by the charity UNESCO, World Book Day's mission is to offer every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.
When is World Book Day?
In the UK, World Book Day is held annually on the first Thursday of March.
So, this year the celebration lands on March 4th, marking the 24th year that the event has been held in the UK.
The day is now acknowledged globally in over 100 countries across the world.
How can you get involved?
There are lots of ways you can celebrate World Book Day at home this year, no matter where you are. The celebration has a particular focus on online events as schools are still, in the majority, closed while restrictions ease in the UK.
However, just like previous years, children of all ages are still encouraged to dress up as their favourite literary characters and share pictures on social media using the hashtag #WorldBookDay
Starting tomorrow, the charity has also organised a range of LIVE events with a star-studded cast of authors, illustrators and hosts.
The line up is as follows:
Wednesday 3rd March, 10.30 am – Books that Make you LOL!
Starring: Humza Arshad, Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton (Football School), Jonny Duddle and Zanib Mian
Hosted by Kenny Baraka, motivational speaker
Thursday 4th March, 10.30 am – World Book Day special – Bringing Reading to Life
Starring: Joseph Coelho & Fiona Lumbers, Tom Fletcher and Lydia Monks and special guest Rob Biddulph
Hosted by Nigel Clarke, TV presenter
Friday 5th March, 10.30 am – Books and the Real World
Starring: Sita Brahmachari, Jess French and Katherine Rundell
Hosted by Jessie Cave, actor and podcaster
You can watch each event LIVE on the World Book Day Website or on their YouTube Channel. And don't worry! If you miss the live event, you can watch it anytime after, on the same Youtube channel.
£1 Book Tokens, Our Top Picks!
World Book Day, in partnership with schools all over the country, distribute over 15 million £1 World Book Day book tokens to children and young people every year.
The charity also makes a coinciding list of £1 books that appeal to a wide number of children, ensuring there is a representative list with something to appeal to all ages and stages.
The £1 book tokens can be swapped for one of these selected, new and exclusive books, from their local bookseller, with no additional cost.
Here are our favourites from the bunch:
Skysteppers - Katherine Rundell
Recommended for Secondary School Teens
Planet Omar: Operation Kind - Zanib Mian
Recommended for Primary School Children
There's a wolf in your book - Tom Fletcher
Recommended for Pre School and Nursery Children
Can't see something you like? The tokens can alternatively be used to get £1 off any book or audiobook costing over £2.99 at a participating bookshop or book club (terms and conditions apply).
For more info about World Book Day and how you can get involved, visit their website here - or check out their Youtube Channel for some great videos.
Best Selling Children's Book Author, Jacqueline Wilson, reading an extract from her latest book.
