With World Book Day just around the corner, people across the UK will be joining other countries around the globe to celebrate everything there is to love about books.
The occasion is celebrated with a whole host of activities, from dressing up as favourite character to taking part in reading challenges. But one of the biggest parts of the day is that book tokens are handed out to children across the country so they have the chance to buy a book for free.
The tokens are available to spend at a selection of major retailers as well as independent bookshops, with a dozen new £1 titles being brought out for the occasion from beloved authors and illustrators including Nick Sharratt, LD Lapinski and Adam Kay. Here's everything you need to know about how World Book Day tokens work and where you can spend them.
Where can I get a World Book Day token and how do they work?
World Book Day tokens are given out to children by schools, or by the event's partner charity BookTrust who distributes tokens to families as part of its programme. The token is also available in a range of children's magazines, as well as with McDonald's Happy Meals.
The token is worth £1, and can be used to either get a special World Book Day £1 book for free (see list below), or alternatively get £1 off the cost of any full-price book or audiobook at any participating retailer - it is not available to use for online purchases. The redemption period for World Book Day tokens runs until Sunday, March 26.
Where can I spend my World Book Day token?
Several retailers, including major supermarkets and bookshops, are participating in World Book Day 2023. You can redeem your token at the following shops:
- Asda
- Sainsbury's
- Tesco
- Morrisons
- Waterstones
- W H Smith
- The Works
- Blackwell's (selected stores only)
World Book Day organisers suggest checking with your local store before you visit to see whether they stock the special £1 books. You can use the interactive map on the World Book Day website to search for your nearest participating retailer.
Which books are available for £1 this year?
There are 12 books available across the UK for just £1 this year, released specially for World Book Day. These titles are:
- Billy's Bravery by Tom Percival
- Bedtime for the Burpee Bears by Joe Wicks, illustrated by Paul Howard
- Lifesize Creepy Crawlies by Sophy Henn
- You Choose Your Adventure by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
- Dave Pigeon: Bookshop Mayhem by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
- Marvel Spider-Man: The Amazing Pocket Guide by Catherine Saunders
- The Boy With Wings: Attack of the Rampaging Robot by Lenny Henry
- A Dragon Realm Adventure by Kate and Kevin Tsang
- The Strangeworlds Tale Agency: Adventure in the Floating Mountains by LD Lapinski
- Kay's Brilliant Brains by Adam Kay, illustrated by Henry Paker
- Boot It! by A M Dassu
- Being an Ally: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again, by Shakirah Bourne and Dana Alison Levy
You can read more about each of these titles, including taking a look inside each one, on the World Book Day website.
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