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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. World Book Day wants to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them. Designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.
Gloucestershire Libraries supports World Book Day in its mission to encourage all children to read for fun. World Book Day puts children’s voices first with Read Your Way, encouraging everyone to let go of pressure and expectations to give children a choice - and a chance - to enjoy reading.
Keep reading to find out how we are helping children and young people discover how and what they want to read.
Lydney Library, Our Exchange Hub
As part of World Book Day’s community book distribution project, Lydney Library has been chosen to be a community token exchange hub, one of many locations across the UK distributing over 100,000 books to children.
Located in an area with few bookstores or opportunities to discover the joy of reading, children in the area who are in or out of school, including homeschools, will be able to bring their £1 World Book Day token to Lydney Library to exchange for a World Book Day book to keep. This offers them a chance to make their own choice about what they would like to read and add to their own personal library.
World Book Day tokens will also be available at this location.
For a full list of books available, visit worldbookday.com/books. This project is made possible with support from The Foyle Foundation and The Julia Rausing Trust.
Book Recommendations
Visit your local library and keep an eye on our social media to see the outstanding books we are featuring for World Book Day. Carefully selected by our discerning librarians to get children excited about reading, you are sure to find something to take home.
If you would like further guidance, speak to one of our passionate library staff!
Costume Swap
The costume parade is a beloved tradition included in many World Book Day celebrations. If you or your child are searching for a costume for World Book Day, be sure to stop by any library from Monday, 17 February to Thursday, 6 March.
Bring a World Book Day costume you no longer need to any library and take home something new. Clothing swaps like this one can help reduce the 350,000 tonnes of clothing thrown away each year in the UK, and you will be giving someone else an opportunity to participate in World Book Day. If you do not have a costume to swap, you are still invited to take one home.
This year, we have received a large donation of children’s costumes from Stroud Community Costumes, so the choices will be vast!
We will be accepting whole or partial costumes and accessories in good condition up until World Book Day on Thursday, 6 March. Both child and adult costumes are welcome.
More Activities
Gloucestershire Libraries will also be involved in inter-generational projects and comic book workshops with selected partner schools and home educators, to further share the love of reading and storytelling in our communities. We will be excited to share the outcomes of these following World Book Day.
More information can be found at worldbookday.com along with free materials and activities
