Liam Owens
So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll probably know that today is the 20th anniversary of World Book Day! A day dedicated to our favourite heroes and heroines of children’s literature, World Book Day brings together children of all ages and promotes the importance of literacy and reading for pleasure.
In my part time job at an arts and crafts store, I’ve taken much delight in offering
advice and guidance to 
children and parents looking for supplies to put together fancy dress costumes inspired by their favourite characters. (For the record, I’ve had a Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, two witches from Room on the Broom, a Katniss Everdeen, a Willy Wonka, and a Gandalf the Grey – all in one day, I might add!)
As a group of researchers interested in children’s literature both past and present, we simply couldn’t let the day pass by unnoticed. So to celebrate, we thought we’d get together to discuss some of our own favourite children’s books (albeit without fancy dress, unfortunately!) As you can see, we’re an eclectic bunch – our personal favourites cover virtually every aspect of children’s literature: post-millennial LGBT teen fiction, girls’ boarding school narratives set in the midst of the Second World War – even picturebooks illustrated in the traditional art form of the Bhitti Chitra!
So what are you doing today to celebrate World Book Day?
Do you have a favourite children’s book you’d like to share with us?
Let us know in the comments!