To think World Book Day needs a rethink.

I agree with you Trisher. It got really out of hand in our school, with even the HT spending a fortune on a costume, when there were many families living on the breadline. It put parents under so much pressure.
Donations of books instead is a good idea.
Instead, children could make a face mask of their favourite character in class, as part of an cross curricular activity.

We will have a problem in Wales

My DD has always put together wonderful costumes for our twin DGC without spending a lot of money but this time in their final year at primary school they really do not want to get involved.

From my perspective, its a pain in the arse!

(In a small voice) I like it. I'm doing another 'meet the author' event at a library again. I always enjoy the 'meet the reader' aspect of it.
I was recently very taken aback though, to find that I had to have personal public liability insurance to do talks in libraries. Obviously I'm a dangerous public liability! However, I'm now all insured and ready to go. Let me know if anyone's local library is brave enough to want me to do a talk!

Quite agree. It has changed beyond recognition and buying a costume was surely not the intention. That money should go for books instead. Maybe shops could stock 'official' world book day books and children could have fun choosing one to take in and donate to the school.

The day itself is a good thing but yes, it needs a face lift. It was stale 10 years ago when my youngest was still at primary school and I don't think anything has changed since then.

Everything 'nowadays' seems to take on a life of its own.
What should be pleasurable ends up being a nuisance to the parents and the children.

I think YABU, as you ask. Nobody has to buy a costume, my DGC have never had a ready-made one yet. And it doesn't have to be over the top either. At my school we used to have a few piratey scarves, cloaks, crowns and suchlike to hand for children who didn't come in outfits but wanted to dress up, so noone missed out. DD2 is a bit flummoxed this time as DGS2 wants to go as a dustbin. From a page in his favourite book which is all about useful vehicles (he hasn't quite grasped the concept of favourite character).

There are some great free books for children to choose from this year. I'm hoping one of mine will pick Nadiya's Bake Me A Story, but I know nicely that the Marvel Avengers will win through as usual!

Your DGS2 sounds a bit like one of mine. He is fascinated by cars, roads, maps etc . One year he went as a road sign as his favourite book was the Highway Code.

This year his favourite readingis the 13 Storey Treehouse and its sequels. I shall have fun trying to make a costume for that one.

We will have a problem in Wales
Eisteddfod already booked on the school calendar.
No doubt there will be many Welsh ladies, daffodils and rugby players attending school that day, perhaps they can link it to books.

Nothing is more important than daffodils, leaks, rugby and tall black hats plus shawls on 1st March Jalima , nothing ?

World book day isn't just for schools!!

Maggiemaybe Perhaps Nobody has to buy a costume, but the fact is most schools will have a dressing up day and most children will wear a bought costume. I just think it is time for a re-think. There are so many other things that schools could do. It's supposed to be about reading and celebrating books and authors, not dressing up. You could have a readathon, or a book swap or something else that focussed on books.
Marydoll I like the face masks idea.

It certainly shouldn’t be about who has the best costume
So, perhaps it should simply be about books.
How long has it been going? I do remember giving our children money to buy a book, but they never dressed up.
Our DGC do though, and find it very exciting, but then they are bought lovely outfits.?

It’s not just about dressing up though, is it? My school used to have an author in for the day, doing various workshops with the children. And each class had stories read by staff who weren’t teachers - the caretaker, dinner ladies, office staff, who donated the book they read to the class. Our local bookshop would set up a stall with the free books the children could “buy” with their tokens. According to reports in the local paper, other schools did similar things. Those in the wealthier areas raised money for Book Aid. Surely there aren’t any schools where everyone just dresses up....and that’s it?

I'll have to get back to you on that one. I shall find out, as so far as I've seen its just dressing up here.

Well if your DGC are anything like mine, what goes on in school is a big state secret.

It shouldn't be about dressing up but in many schools that seems to be the main, if not the whole, focus. I think it's pointless and silly, and puts pressure on parents.

Maggiemaybe I like the sound of the activities that took place in your school - especially including staff other than teachers to read a book to the children.

Our school is not having a dressing up day this year, but a puppet show of a children's book.

I like the idea at my DG's school. They all get to take in their favourite bedtime story, and their PJs and dressing gowns to wear at Storytime.
So no silly costume purchases necessary.

The charecters represented now seem rather limited to what the supermarkets have on offer...........limiting the imagination is just not what books are about. Time to get rid of the dressing up.

That's a great idea suttonJ and wouldn't it be great if all schools spent the week making sure every day finished with a "Storytime" even for the older children. A chance to introduce them to something they wouldn't usually read. My first introduction to Dickens was when I was about 10 and our Junior school headteacher read us a Christmas Carol. I'm not sure I understood it all but some of the imagery and the language has always stayed with me.