It is almost time for World Book Day, with the annual event looking to encourage more youngsters to read for fun.
With the 2026 edition of World Book Day due to take place on Thursday, March 5, young readers don’t have long left to make the most of their book tokens.
READ MORE: When is World Book Day 2026? Where to get tokens, participating booksellers, costume ideas and more
More than 15 million £1/€1.50 book tokens are distributed across the UK and Ireland annually, allowing children and teenagers to either pick up one of this year’s titles for free or put the voucher towards a book of their own choosing for a small discount.
All collected book tokens can be used until Sunday, March 15 at selected retailers, but if your child is struggling to select what they would like to read here are all of the 2026 World Book Day books available for free.
5. Pablo and Splash: The Castle Quest written and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
Irish author and illustrator Sheena Dempsey first came up with the idea for Pablo and Splash in 2020, when she started the series as a webcomic. Now having published several books in the series, with Bloomsbury, Pablo and Splash: The Castle Quest follows time-travelling penguins Pablo and Splash as they investigate medieval England. | Bloomsbury
6. Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann
Author Serena Patel and illustrator Emma McCann bring pet lover Pia to life in Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape. The latest entry in the series for early readers, published by Usborne, in this book Pia is hunting for Amazing Animal Roadshow star Iggy the Iguana who has disappeared. | Usborne Publishing
7. Bear Rescue by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold
Bestseller Hannah Gold teams up with illustrator Levi Pinfold for Bear Rescue, the tale of August Wood who lives in the Arctic alongside his big sister April Wood, who once rescued a polar bear, and his best friend Blaze the husky. After a sudden snowstorm, August goes missing and she must team up with Bear and Blaze to bring him home safely. Published by HarperCollins, this title is best for fluent readers this World Book Day. | HarperCollins Children’s Books
8. Bunny vs Monkey: Total Chaos! by Jamie Smart
The tales of Bunny vs Monkey are regularly published in The Phoenix comic – an imprint of David Fickling Books — but for World Book Day 2026 readers are being invited to purchase a copy of Total Chaos for free using their book token, as Monkey’s schemes see him taking over the Woods with only Bunny able to stop him. | The Phoenix Comic Books / David Fickling Books