Not to be confused with World Book Night – which takes place on April 23rd – World Book Day, which is held on March 5th, is the "biggest, happiest, bookiest celebration of books and reading" in the UK. It's a great occasion and perfect for schools looking to inspire children and young people to not only read more, but to do so for pleasure.

If you're keen to embrace this brilliant event but feel in need of some creative stimulation, then look no further. Our guide offers some suggestions to teachers at primary and secondary schools as to how they can embrace World Book Day and make it a day to remember.

Themed Fancy Dress

Setting the right kind of mood and environment is vital for creating an amazingly bookish atmosphere, so why not give your pupils the opportunity to come dressed as their favourite character from their favourite book?

Also, consider giving your school a temporary makeover, so that it either looks like some sort of grand book repository or a scene out of a classic children's book, like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

The Great Book Exchange

Ahead of World Book Day, and in agreement with parents, ask your pupils to bring in books that they have enjoyed and would be happy to swap for another. This is a great way of getting youngsters talking about their favourite books.

A fair way of exchanging books between pupils is through a lucky dip system. All participants have their names put into a hat and pairs are drawn – they are required to give at least a little overview of the books and what they liked about it (without giving away the story of course).

Tea, Coffee, Books and Cakes

Perhaps more suitable for secondary school pupils, Tea, Coffee, Books and Cakes is about setting aside at least two hours to reading, complemented by some hot drinks (coffee, tea and hot chocolate), and, of course, a plethora of cakes and biscuits.

You could encourage your students to bake some delicious cakes and biscuits for the occasion and maybe make it into a fundraising activity, money which could possibly go towards something book related. Make it even more relaxed with some beanbags and cushions.

The Short Story Challenge

It is entirely possible to write a brilliant short story in a day. In fact, half a day is achievable. Moreover, you can knock up some prose in a handful of hours, if not one. Sure, anything is possible.

Set your pupils the challenge of writing a short story in 60 minutes. It can seem like quite a daunting task, which is why it pays to limit the word count and give them a framework within which to work (a number of characters, a situation, key stages in a narrative – like a challenge to overcome – and some new words to flesh out their vocabulary).

Book Club Supersized

Book clubs have, in recent years, been growing in popularity, with people all over the world participating in them via work, with friends and even family. When done well it gets people reading regularly, gets them engaging in discourse and makes it an occasion to look forward to.

Your school version can be just as engaging and rewarding. Get your students to take ownership over it, as this will not only give them more of stake in the success of the project, but help develop various skills like leadership and teamwork. Where possible, offer incentives – like tokens for new books – and set up extracurricular activities, like visits to libraries or literary events.