March 7: World Book Day (UK)

Thanks to UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization if you had to know), World Book Day (WBD) takes place today. Ironically, this World Book Day only takes place in the UK on the first Thursday of March. It's celebrated everywhere else on April 23, which in the UK, or England at least, is St. George's Day.

Vouchers can also be used to receive a £1 discount from
the price of any other book they may want instead.

WBD in the UK has been running since 1998. Children in the UK receive a £1 WBD voucher which can be used for purchasing any book in any bookshop. Initially an anthology was released, but now every year a series of books are released at the price of £1 especially for the occasion.

This year's £1 books include The Diamond Brothers in... Two of Diamonds, which is a murder mystery involving strawberry yoghurt, as well as Horrid Henry's Guide to Perfect Parents, which gives children tips on how to convince their parents to give them everything they desire. If we were still in school, we'd probably use our voucher to get Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: Funny Inventions, since it's a lighthearted look at the history of everything from the wheel to alarm-clock beds! 

The World Book Day site is full of ideas for activities for booksellers, teachers, librarians and pupils alike. We've even seen teachers in the UK dressing up as characters from books to mark this day, so if you're getting involved tell us below in the comments.