World Book Day

Havant Academy to host World Book Day® community token exchange hub to help reach more young readers

Havant Academy will be receiving a share of 400,000 copies of the World Book Day® £1/€1.50 books to distribute to children to help more children discover reading for fun.

As part of this year’s World Book Day® celebrations, Havant Academy will be part of a nationwide community book distribution project, bringing books and the enjoyment of reading to the children of Havant. 

As one of the World Book Day community token exchange hubs – a partnership with the charity and made possible with support from National Year of Reading and World of Books - they will be offering children the opportunity to exchange their £1/€1.50 World Book Day book token for a £1/€1.50 book of their choice for free. 

World Book Day’s community book distribution project is part of the charity’s mission to improve children’s access to books and provide them with opportunities to develop a lifelong habit of reading for fun. Reading for fun is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than family circumstances, parents’ educational background and their income (OECD PISA) but research from National Literacy Trust found that fewer than 1 in 3 (34.6%) children now say they enjoy reading (Children and Young People's Reading Research Report 2024 - National Literacy Trust). This is the lowest level since 2005, and reading enjoyment is lowest among children from disadvantaged backgrounds (Children and Young People's Reading Research Report 2024 - National Literacy Trust). With up to one million children in the UK never owning a book (Book ownership in 2024 - National Literacy Trust), the charity is working in areas with above-average percentages of children receiving Pupil Premium support, and limited access to local bookshops. 

Fiona Hickley, Executive Director of World Book Day said: “With reading for fun at its lowest level since 2005, our charity’s mission to change lives through a love of reading is more vital than ever. We are grateful to National Year of Reading, World of Books and our partner publishers, and our community book distribution partners for their generous support to help bring books to children across the country. We look forward to seeing more children enjoy their reading adventures this World Book Day.”