When is World Book Day, what is this year’s theme and why is it so important?

From when it began to why it's so important, here's what you need to know about World Book Day.

First launched in the UK and Ireland in 1997, World Book Day began as a way to encourage young people to discover the joy of reading.

Organised by UNESCO in 1995, the worldwide celebration of books is marked in more than 100 countries.

In the UK and Ireland, every child in full time education around the country is provided with a voucher to spend on books with the hope that children from all backgrounds will develop the habit of reading for pleasure.

When is World Book Day in the UK?

In the UK, World Book Day is typically held on the first Thursday of March meaning that this year it falls on Thursday, March 6.

As an international event World Book Day is typically observed on April 23. However, due to clashes with Easter school holidays, organisers in the UK altered the date.

World Book Day looks to encourage children to read.

Why is World Book Day so important?

While many parents fret over buying or making a costume for their child, at its heart World Book Day is about access to reading.

According to a 2023 National Literacy Trust survey, up to 500,000 children don’t own any books of their own. Around 20% of school pupils said that the book they purchased with a World Book Day token was the first of their own.

In addition, studies have shown that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, even more so than family circumstances, their parent’s educational background or income.

As part of World Book Day last year, 50 million book tokens were distributed through schools magazines and partnerships with 5.3 million tokens included with McDonald’s Happy Meals.

What is the theme of World Book Day 2024?

World Book Day 2024 is calling for children to “Read Your Way” by letting go of pressure and expectations, and giving children the choice and opportunity to enjoy reading.

Children are more likely to enjoy reading when their choices are supported, and reading is made fun.

The charity has developed six principles which can be implemented by families to encourage a life-long reading habit:

• Being read to regularly
• Having books at home and at school
• Having a choice in what to read
• Finding time to read
• Having trusted help to find a book
• Making reading fun

One million children in the UK currently don’t have a single book of their own at home, which makes purchases made with £1 book tokens so important particularly as the cost of living crisis hits families.

Zoe Johnstone giving a Bookbug session at the Central Children's Library in Edinburgh. This session involves singing, reading and dancing. (Picture credit: John Devlin)

In 2024, McDonald’s will once more include tokens with Happy Meals and 105,000 books will be distributed through a range of World Book Day partners. This includes working with BookTrust’s network of local organisations to get £1 book tokens into some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities.

The Scottish Book Trust have also produced new resources for schools celebrating World Book Day across the country, including new content on the free Bookbug app and more than 50 author events on their Authors Live on Demand programme.

Getting dressed up

For children, dressing up is often the most exciting part of World Book Day and it can encourage reluctant readers to get involved.

Many schools will host costume days for pupils but with many parents impacted by the cost of living crisis organisers have provided alternative options. These include wearing comfy reading clothes – including pyjamas – or creating costumes at school using World Book Day resource packs.

What are this year's £1 books?

This year's £1 books include a range, targeted at children from beginners all the way to independent readers.

• Elmer and the Patchwork Story by David McKee
• Greg the Sausage Roll: Lunchbox Superhero by Mark and Roxanne Hoyle
• Charlie McGrew & The Horse That He Drew by Rob Biddulph
• Dinosaur Club: On the Trail of a T.rex by Rex Stone
• InvestiGators: Hi-Rise Hijinks by John Patrick Green
• Marv and the Ultimate Superpower by Alex Falase-Koya
• Can You Get Jellyfish in Space? by Dr Sheila Kanani
• Loki: Tales of a Bad God by Louie Stowell
• Onyeka and the Secret Superhero by Tọlá Okogwu
• The Amazing Edie Eckhart: The Friend Mission by Rosie Jones
• Dread Wood: Creepy Creations by Jennifer Killick
• The Doomsday Date by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé