The annual Design a National Book Token competition returned this World Book Day, inviting children of all ages to get creative and share their love for books and reading by designing their own fabulous gift cards! This year’s theme was ‘Read Your Way’, which encouraged children to think about what reading looks like for them, and what it can look like for others. The panel of judges selected a winner and runner-up in three age categories: up to 8 years, 9-12 years and 13-16 years, as well as one overall winner.

The winning entrants, their schools and their teachers have won HUNDREDS of pounds worth of National Book Tokens, and the OVERALL WINNER receives a £10 National Book Token for every child in their class, featuring their winning design, and a visit to a local bookshop to spend their National Book Tokens.

Congratulations to all the fantastic winners!

Overall winner:

Congratulations to Jodie, age 8

Winners in each age category:

Up to 8 Years category

Winner: Jodie, age 8 (Thorpe Acre Junior School, Loughborough)

Runner up: Isaac, age 7 (Brooklands Primary School, Sale)

9-12 Years category

Winner: Emmeline, age 10 (The Aldgate School, London)

Runner up: Olesia, age 10 (Hearsall Community Academy, Coventry)

13-16 years category

Winner: Alisa, age 15 (St Louis High School, Dublin)

Runner up: Isabelle, age 13 (Bullers Wood School For Girls, Kent)

Presenting a unique new reward to encourage reading for pleasure in your school

Children choosing what they want to read is one of the six behaviours which leads to the development of reading for pleasure skills and habits – proven to be the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success.

National Book Tokens empower children to choose the right books for them every time, so they feel more motivated to read – and enjoy it! Every reader is different, and National Book Tokens are available in a range of formats and designs to suit them all – from gift cards featuring popular characters and personalised gift cards to e-Gift cards delivered straight to their inbox.

NEW for 2024 is the National Book Tokens Presentation Card. Bringing together all the benefits of a National Book Tokens gift card into a certificate-style presentation card, this is an all-in-one solution for your end-of-term rewards, one-off certificates of achievement and prizes. Just like their innovative personalised gift cards, you can use your school’s crest or logo, and add your own text, to create meaningful and memorable rewards.

Visit the National Book Tokens site for more information about their rewards and incentives, or get in touch with their team to see how they can help you inspire and encourage reading for pleasure at your school.

Find out more here.