Wordfest is gearing up for World Book Day

Wordfest looks forward to celebrating World Book Day on April 23, 2015.

World Book Day is organized by the United Nations and it pays tribute to books and authors from around the world, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.

We’ve compiled some ideas and resources to help educators, parents and young readers get the most out of this special day:

Teacher Shelfie Sharing Day

Teachers, librarians and staff in your school may want to take photos of their book shelves and share them online and on social media using a hashtag such as #shelfie. Consider sharing the collection of photos with your class. Read more about the shelfie trend in this article in The Guardian.

Writing Competition

Organize a writing competition and encourage your students to submit an essay on a given topic. We’ve provided some suggested instructions here. Wordfest is able to help out with a book prize for the winner!*

*One age-appropriate book will be donated to the first 10 schools who request it. Email youth@wordfest.com for more information.

One School, One Book

Pick a book that all grades in your school can read and explore together–whether it's for reading aloud or for reading along, an audio book or an online app). For a suggested list of titles suitable for a One School, One Book program, click here.

Book Swap

Share the power of story and fundraise at the same time! A book swap is a great way to discuss books, at any age. Organize a giant book swap in school or in your community. Read more…

Book Drive

Not every child or every school enjoys access to books. Organize a book drive in which students and staff donate gently used books. If you live in the Calgary area, keep in mind that the popular Calgary Reads book sale accepts book donations starting May 9, 2015. Read more…

One Book, One Costume

Teachers and students may want to dress up as their favourite book character, and discuss their choice with each other. There is no need to wait for Halloween to participate. Send us your photos at youth@wordfest.com, or tweet your costume pictures to @wordfestyouth. We’ve posted some samples on Pinterest for your inspiration.

Book Trivia

Organize a book trivia day, involving every grade level in your school. Each class could create sets of ten or twenty questions and answers. Swap the sets between classes and organize a Book Trivia Day in the school gym or library! Involve parents, or maybe even turn your event into a potluck.

Start a "Book in a Can" Collection

Invite your students to decorate the outside of an empty, clean food can to represent the main character from a book or a scene from a book. Read more…

Bookmarks with Reading Quotes

Ask all of the students in your school to design their own bookmark drawing inspiration from their favourite literary quotes. Then display the bookmarks around the school or donate them to a local senior home.