World Book Day set to take place this March

Kat O'Connor

World Book Day is a great way to encourage children to read

World Book Day is set to take place in Ireland this March. The annual celebration is a wonderful way to get your kids reading more than ever.

On March 7th, the public will be invited to celebrate World Book Day.

Reading for pleasure is an important indicator of a child’s future success, but recent research has shown that more than half of children and young people do not enjoy reading in their free time.

This is the lowest level since 2005, and that reading enjoyment is lowest among children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Read Your Way calls on everyone to let go of pressure and expectations, giving children a choice – and a chance – to enjoy reading.

Young voices are at the heart of the campaign, with World Book Day’s selection of €1.50 books chosen with the help of children, while children’s every day – and exciting – reading lives are brought to life through the dynamic imagery of illustrator Vivian Truong.

Here they all are…our brilliant line-up of £1/€1.50 books for World Book Day 2024: a fantastic range for all to choose from, FREE with a £1/€1.50 book token!

We can’t wait to share them and much more with you on 7th March 2024! 🤗 #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/4D5fVEYZz2
— WorldBookDayIE (@WorldBookDayIE) December 6, 2023

Supported by long-term sponsor National Book Tokens and working alongside publishers and booksellers, World Book Day distributes over 15 million €1.50 book tokens across the UK nations and Ireland every year through schools, nurseries, libraries, prisons, and other charities.

Irish titles will be included this World Book Day

Irish bookworms can look forward to reading Irish titles. This includes The Curious Case of the Irish Yeti: Molly Malone and Bram Stoker by Alan Nolan.

Irish-language book Inis Mara by Tristan Rosenstock and illustrated by Mark Wickham will also be included.

You can view the full book line-up here worldbookday.com/books.

The aim of World Book Day 2024 is to bring the fun of reading back to children. It will also encourage everyone to read their way.

In Ireland, World Book Day will continue to work with a network of partners to extend its reach and impact, including Foras na Gaeilge, An Post and Vision Ireland.

You can get your €1.50 token from Thursday, February 15th to Sunday, March 31st in bookshops, bookshop chains, as well as participating retailers.

The single-use digital token can also be downloaded from the website.

There is also no cost involved at all in claiming a €1.50 World Day Book.