World Book Day 2026: Go All InI love this year’s theme.
Go All In.
Because when I think about what first set me on the road to reading, it was not ease or natural brilliance.
It was immersion.
I was not the classic dyslexic profile, but I was certainly a child who found reading harder than some of my peers. Books did not immediately sweep me along. I was aware of the effort.
What changed things was not pressure. It was permission to go all in.
In the late 70s and 80s, I discovered the Fighting Fantasy books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. They were different. You chose what happened next. Turn to page 47 and face the dragon. Turn to page 62 and take the hidden path.
You were not just following a story. You were inside it. And once I stepped in, I committed.
I was not trying to keep up. I was not comparing myself. I was immersed in the adventure. I read eight, ten, twelve books — not because I had to, but because I wanted to know what would happen next.
That was my turning point.
Going all in does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is simply the quiet moment a child realises:
I can read this myself. That shift matters.
Reading strengthens vocabulary, fluency and focus. It builds the stamina needed for deeper thinking. It develops empathy, allowing children to step into someone else’s world and safely experience courage, friendship, loss and hope.
Reading for pleasure is not an extra.
It is foundational.
But children cannot go all in if reading still feels like a struggle. Confidence is the gateway.
When children understand the code of English and words feel manageable, stories become accessible. And once success begins to build, commitment follows. They read more. They practise more. They grow.
At Monster Phonics, we believe that when children feel secure in phonics, they are freer to lose themselves in stories. Secure foundations make immersion possible.
World Book Day is a reminder that reading does not have to look one particular way. If a child finds something they care about and goes all in — that is the beginning.
And beginnings matter.
If you are looking for a simple way to help children go all in this World Book Day, we would love to support you.
We are sharing two free downloadable activity books designed to build confidence and keep children engaged.
Our Monster Phonics activity book supports children who are securing their phonics knowledge, helping them practise with clarity using our colour-coded approach.
Our Superhero Spelling activity bookgives older learners the chance to strengthen spelling and vocabulary through structured, engaging activities.
Whether a child is just beginning to crack the code or developing greater fluency and accuracy, success builds commitment. And commitment builds readers.
Download them, use them in class or at home, and give children another reason to keep going.
Go faster. Enjoy learning. Change lives.
Kind Regards,
Ian Connors
Director of Education, MP
