World Book Day was created by UNESCO on 23rd April 1995 as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. The day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. Their mission is to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. Why does it matter? Mainly because reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success, even more than their family circumstances, their parents' educational background, or their income. They want to see more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings them.
Too bad there's only one official World Book Day. I do wish we instilled a greater love of reading for FUN in school rather than making it a chore.
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