World Book Day® Competition for Schools 2026 with Jigsaw

Share the fun of reading and win £250 of Books for Your School Library!

In partnership with World Book Day, 2026, we are inviting pupils to imagine, design, and champion their dream school library and one school will win £250 in National Book Tokens to make it real.

What’s the Competition About?

Books help us make sense of ourselves and the world around us. They can calm busy minds, spark imagination, and help us feel connected.

This World Book Day, we want to celebrate that magic by putting children fully in charge.

The task is simple:

Pupils work together to create a wish list of 25–30 books they would love to see in their school library.
Stories that made them feel something.

This isn’t about choosing the right books.

It’s about choosing their books.

Enter the competition

Girl reading for World Book Day with Jigsaw

How It Works

Your pupils create a list of 25 – 30 titles they would love in school, thinking about:

Books that feel like mirrors – reflecting their own experiences, identities or emotions
Books that feel like windows – offering glimpses into new perspectives and worlds
Stories that help them connect, relax, learn, or feel inspired
Recommendations collected from their Book Swap wellbeing stations (if taking part)

Then, pupils record a short video, audio clip, or written explanation that tells us:

How they gathered ideas
Why these books matter
How they’ll share their recommendations with classmates

This doesn’t have to be polished, it just needs to be their voice.

Enter by 23rd May – Winner announced 6th June!

World Book Day® is a registered charity (no.1079257) and registered company (no. 03783095) in the UK. World Book Day and the associated logo are the registered trademarks of World Book Day Limited.

Enter the competition

Group children reading World Book Day with Jigsaw

A Perfect Match for the Jigsaw x World Book Day Book Swap

If you are running the five wellbeing stations (Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Give), then your class will naturally gather hundreds of brilliant recommendations.

Those ideas become the foundation for your competition entry, making this a simple, joyful extension of your World Book Day celebrations.

The Prize

£250 in National Book Tokens for the winning school to buy the books on their pupil-created list.

Enter the competition

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