In this post, I recognize World Book Day, an annual event celebrating books, the privilege of being able to read, and encouraging children to read.

I know I just blogged about Record Store Day a few weeks ago, but once I learned April 23, 2025, is World Book Day I knew I had to include it as well. The observance of World Book Day was established in 1995 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate books and reading – with an emphasis on encouraging children to read.

The date is significant, and was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and also prominent Spanish chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Interestingly, writers Miguel de Cervantes, William Wordsworth, and David Halberstam also passed away on the same date of the year – April 23.

One hundred countries around the globe celebrate World Book Day. While April 23 is the preferred date, due to scheduling conflicts with other events in their countries, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Ireland observe World Book Day on different dates.

Here are “Five Facts About Reading” that highlight the importance of reading, as presented by www.nationaltoday.com/world-book-day?#why-we-love:

1. Reading is self-care. Reading reduces stress by 68 percent.

2. Books are personal. Children who own books are more likely to become regular readers than those who don’t have books at home.

3. It all adds up. Reading just 20 minutes a day equates to reading 1,800,000 (1.8 million) words per year.

4. It builds fluency. Reading is the best way to build your vocabulary, and this is most evident in children.

5. Libraries are cool. Kids read 50 percent more books if they have a mini-library in their classroom.

Many companies honor World Book Day by offering free eBooks to download on your device, and in Spain it is customary to give books as presents on World Book Day. In the UK, children are given tokens for discounts at local booksellers, and in Sweden there are writing competitions across schools and colleges. 

Just yesterday, I took my niece and goddaughter, Giada, to our local Barnes & Noble and we left there with a three-book series for her to read. Please encourage the young people in your lives to read and enable that endeavor by giving them books. It’s best if you take them to the bookstore so they can browse and pick out books of interest. Or take them to your local library. You will be doing them a great service by encouraging them to read.

I recommend you keep a log of all the books you read (and have your children do the same). My record for one year is 120 books read in 2020. Year-to-date in 2025, I am currently reading my 34^th book. How about you? Keeping a log encourages you to read more – and that is beneficial to all.

REMEMBER…

◊ Children who read regularly for enjoyment “have higher test scores, develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge, and a better understanding of other cultures than their non-reading counterparts. Whether you read traditional paperbound books or turn to your Kindle/iPad/whatever, reading’s a passport to this and many other worlds.” Visit https://nationaltoday.com/world-book-day/#history. 

◊ National Today also asks us to “Support children with such good habits and make sure they gather the right information from what they read online. Visit https://scholaroo.com/scholarships/ for information on scholarships and other information to guide students toward further education “best suited for them.”

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases.