Schoolchildren on the Isle of Wight have been dressing up as their favourite book characters in celebration of World Book Day today (Thursday).
Readers of Island Echo have engaged in the literary festivities by sharing photos of their children dressing up in their costumes before heading to school.
Kids were seen preparing for the exciting school day dressed as a whole range of characters, from Cat in the Hat and Gandalf the Grey to Mario and Luigi.
One school marking the special occasion was Nine Acres Primary School in Newport, which took on a fresh, exciting twist this year, opting to focus their celebrations on the world of non-fiction.
Pupils and staff at the school dressed as characters or topics inspired by facts they had researched, from Queen Victoria to Jupiter, and were later encouraged to share these facts in ‘The Great Nine Acres Fact Swap’.
As part of the celebrations, the entire school also took part in the annual tradition of walking to Waterstones in Newport, to collect their free books.
Nine Acres Primary School said:
“It was a day dedicated to knowledge, and the buzz for reading was truly palpable throughout the school!”
World Book Day was established by UNESCO in 1995 to celebrate and promote the enjoyment of books and reading, with the first World Book Day being held in the UK in 1997. Since then, this special day has spanned many chapters, with children across the UK embracing literature by depicting their favourite characters and celebrating the charity event every year.
PHOTOS: Here is a gallery of some of the fantastic costumes put together today…
Give me a book anytime rather than a Kindle.