Why World Book Day Is So Important
I’m a day late, I know. That’s how life goes sometimes, especially when you’ve got ADHD. But I couldn’t resist writing about World Book Day anyway, because, as I’m sure you know, I love books. Books allow you to step into whole other worlds, explore new cultures, experience different lives to your own, travel to new places, have exciting adventures, travel through time, and forget about real life.
When you think about World Book Day, you might think about all the different costumes - and it sure is exciting to scroll through your feed and see what your friends’ kids are dressed up as and to see children on their way to school dressed as a variety of characters. But World Book Day is about more than costumes.
Reading for pleasure is at an all-time low, with only 1 in 3 children saying that they enjoy reading. Reading enjoyment is at its lowest in nearly 20 years. Yet, “reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, even over family income or parents’ educational background’ (National Literacy Trust). It has positive effects on mental health and well-being, reduces stress levels, improves sleep and provides positive role models away from the negativity/toxicity of social media. Reading can change the course of a child’s future.
National Literacy Trust also found that reading helps children to relax, feel happy, learn new things, understand the views of others, learn about other cultures and be confident. You can find out how you can help their campaign to #GrowAGenerationOfReaders here.
“Literacy skills open the door to the life you want - but today, only 1 in 3 children and young people enjoy reading in their free time. This alarming decline is putting their futures at risk. When young people discover the joy of reading, they gain so much: stronger reading skills, greater empathy, improved mental wellbeing, and better life outcomes. ”
This is why World Book Day is so important. In 2022, 1 in 5 children bought their first ever book using their world book day token. In 2021, more than half of children aged 8 to 11 said that they read more books as a result of taking part in World Book Day. World Book Day creates positive change and it is a day to celebrate. So, happy belated World Book Day!
I love books, and I love that I love books. I listen to audiobooks and read paperbacks and hardbacks too. I post all the books I read on my Instagram story and also on Goodreads. You can find all of my 5 star reads on my Amazon storefront here. So far in 2025, my 5 star reads are:*
The Twins of Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor
The ADHD Focus Friend: A Planning and Productivity Workbook by Grace Koelma
The Women by Kristin Hannah
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
I’ve just been on a little trip away to Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. One of my favourite things to do when exploring new places is find book shops, and I found some lovely ones in Tallinn! You can watch my video on Instagram or TikTok!
In other random news, I wrote a piece that I’m really proud of for Stylist Magazine this week: “I felt like I didn’t belong – this is how understanding my neurodivergent brain saved my life”. At the start of 2025, I set myself some ‘dream goals’ that would be awesome to achieve, and writing a piece for Stylist Magazine was on it, so I’m thrilled to tick this off.
Read my Autism and ADHD Book Guide - for Children, Young People, Parents and Professionals here, and purchase the PDF here.
If you’d like to read my book (now also available in paperback) you can find links to grab a copy here.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Love, Emily x
* AD/commissions earned - as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Book links are affiliate links. Please try to support independent book shops as much as possible.
GIRL UNMASKED (The Sunday Times Bestseller) is available to order from Amazon and all major bookstores as a hardback, paperback, audiobook and ebook.
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