World Book Day is a highlight of the school year for children.
Not only do they get to indulge their love of reading but they can dress up as their favourite literary characters.
And we want you to send us photos of your children in their World Book Day outfits so we can share them with our readers.
We’ll be publishing an online gallery of the best snaps on Friday, March 8. Submit your World Book Day photos here:
We loved looking through last year’s submitted snaps of local children dressed as storybook stars including Harry Potter, Paddington Bear, Where’s Wally and Mr Strong.
World Book Day 2024
World Book Day was created by UNESCO in 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. It’s now marked in more than 100 countries round the globe.
The idea was that publishers and booksellers worked together to promote books and reading for the personal enrichment and enjoyment of all.
It was originally founded on April 23, Shakespeare’s birthday, but has since migrated backwards, now falling in early March.
World Book Day started in this country in 1997.
Its main aim is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
Every school pupil in the country receives a book token which can be exchanged for a wide selection of titles.
Kids’ book sales on the up
Many schools and nurseries invite children to dress up on the day as a character from a book and hold book-themed activities throughout the week.
The rise of the Kindle phenomenon prompted fears that children would turn away from books, but research shows they still prefer pages to pixels.
Sales of kids’ books in the UK climbed more than 15% in the decade 2010 to 2020, and this continues to rise.
Although celebrity authors have corned a large share of the market, old favourites like Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, remain bestsellers.