World Book Day offers every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. The £1/€1.50 tokens and £1/€1.50 books give all children the chance to experience choosing and owning a book – for free.
The World Book Day books are a gift to children from booksellers and publishers.
World Book Day works with publishers to create a list of books to appeal to a wide range of children at all ages, interests, and stages of reading.
Publishers suggest titles and a selection panel chooses from these submissions. The selection panel includes a range of expert voices from libraries, communities, partner charities and retailers.
The suggested titles are shared with children across the country and they select their favourites. These selections are combined with the adult selection panels choices to make up the final list.
The World Book Day trustees approve the final list.
The chosen publishers then produce and publish the books (covering all the costs).
Booksellers buy the books from publishers and give them to children in exchange for the £1/€1.50 token.
Contributing publishers to World Book Day can put forward books for selection. Find out more about how we work with publishers here.
