BRADFORD Libraries will be celebrating World Book Day online on Thursday.

This year World Book Day will, like lots of other events in the past year, be very different. Online events with schools and families will take place to ensure there is a powerful and positive message about books and reading, even in lockdown.

Primary schools will be enjoying two online story performances and workshops with Gemma Curry from Hoglets Theatre. Children from Key Stage One will discover the Viking story of Thor and his magical hammer Mjolnir and consider what kind of superhero they would be. Key Stage 2 children will be enjoying the story of when Thor went fishing and the chance to write a story about how they overcame a challenge. The events will be shown live simultaneously to the children at school and at home.

And not to be left out, there will also be an opportunity for families to join Gemma after school for a family story performance of How Thor got his hammer.

Families can book on a Zoom for 4.30pm to 5.15pm. Suitable for ages 4 to 11 years-old.

There are 50 places are available for families.

To book please email: christinea.donnelly@bradford.gov.uk Development Officer for Children and Young People: Bradford Libraries, adding WORLD BOOK DAY THOR EVENT BOOKING REQUEST to the subject line. You will need to provide your library card number and the name & ages of the children attending with you.

Join Explore Learning for a special World Book Day creative writing workshop on Thursday, 4 March at 4pm for ages 7 to 9. Have writing fun while getting help with your understanding of texts, through asking questions and drawing inferences, such as a characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives. Families can register via Eventbrite at the following link:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-book-day-a-spring-in-your-step-workshoptickets-141300624973. Places are limited to 10 children. You will receive a confirmation email with the link to the event on registering your child.

Throughout March the library service will be helping all our young customers celebrate World Book Day by including in children’s Order and Collect requests a free World Book Day book. The title will be one of 12 specially produced for World Book Day. The book you receive will be randomly selected to add an element of surprise and hopefully encourage children to try something new. To find out the World Book Day titles for 2021 visit www.worldbookday.com

There is also more information on www.worldbookday.com with fun resources including activity sheets, lesson plans and discussion guides for Nursery, Primary & Secondary, FREE audiobooks for all ages (available until September 30), videos on the World Book Day YouTube channel including stories for under 5s, masterclasses from some of your favourite authors and illustrators and the top 100 Stories To Share – voted for by the nation.

Anyone dressing up for World Book Day at home has been asked to tag themselves in photos using @bradfordmdc and @bradfordlibs247

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: "World Book Day like so many special events will be different this year but we are still determined to celebrate and get children passionate about books and reading. I’m sure that children will mark this special day if they are at home or children who are in school.”