Give children the space to imagine their perfect book with the Book I’d Love to Read activity. This creative exercise helps them share what they want to read, even if they haven’t yet found the right story. By thinking about their dream book, children develop a stronger connection to reading and gain confidence in expressing their preferences.
Why it works
Thinking about their dream book encourages children to notice what excites them about reading. It also helps teachers and families understand individual reading preferences and spark new book conversations.
How to run it
Explain that the class will build a library of irresistible books. Each child imagines a book they would be thrilled to find on a shelf, then describes it using the prompts below.
- Is it fiction or non-fiction?
- What is it about?
- Who tells the story or gives the information?
- What’s on the cover?
- Why would someone want to read it?
Next, invite children to share in pairs or small groups. Encourage them to ask questions that help each other develop ideas and find similarities in what they enjoy.
Using the template
Children complete the sheet with their imagined title, blurb, and cover. Then, display the finished sheets or use them to start a class discussion. Teachers and peers can suggest real books that share similar themes.
Use of World Book Day resources
These resources are free to use for schools, early years settings, libraries, charities, and community groups celebrating World Book Day. Commercial organisations must have a partnership or licence agreement in place before using World Book Day assets. If you are interested in working with us, please contact partnerships@worldbookday.com.