Thursday 23rd April is World Book Night (as well as St George’s Day!) which is like World Book Day but for everyone, and there’s no need to rush around trying to gather together bits and pieces for a costume of your favourite character! It is simply a celebration of reading and books. And I think we can all agree that at this time, being transported to imaginary places with fictional friends sounds like a great escape! At 7pm for an hour (before heading out to clap and play for our wonderful keyworkers!) we are being encouraged to sit and read, or listen to, a book of your choice.

The houses near us have been leaving books on driveways for people to take on their daily walks. If you can’t get your hands on a new paperback and you’ve read everything in the house that appeals to you, then there are a few other options:

• Your Hertfordshire Library card will give you access to hundreds of audio & ebooks from BorrowBox and RBDigital.
• Storynory provides free audio stories including fairytales, original stories, myths, poems, music, history and audiobooks.
• Audible are offering free children's stories during this time. 
• Loyal Books is another free audio book store with many of the classics.
• David Walliams has been releasing an audio story each day from his World's Worst Children series.
• And our very own Harpenden author, Camilla Chester, can be found reading her latest novel, Thirteen Wishes on You Tube. 

Remember, reading comes in lots of guises - my 5 year old just walked in and started sounding out some of the words I’m writing much to my delight (and then annoyance as Daddy was supposed to be putting him to bed!), my 11 year old still adores the Beano and I’m just pleased it’s some form of reading!

Here at MGT, the team (including our other sites), their other halves and the MGT Kids have been sharing their latest reads...

The Kids
Auggie & Me and Wonder by RJ Palacio
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
Mr Men series by Roger Hargreaves
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd
Mystery and Mayhem by Katherine Woodfine
Theodore Boone - The Activist by John Grisham
The Guinness Book of Records
The Magic Ballerina series by Darcey Bussell
The Young Bond series by Charlie Higson
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling
The case of the Drowned Pearl by Robin Stevens
The Claude series by Alex T Smith
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson
The Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
The Maze Runner by Dashner James

The Grown-ups
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Second Child by Caroline Bond
Half a World Away by Mike Gayle
Plague by Michael Grant
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
I Am C-3PO by Anthony Daniels
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child
Tidelands by Philippa Gregory
How Music Works by David Byrne
Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
Tombland by CJ Samson
Letters on Motherhood by Giovanna Fletcher

For more details about World Book Night check out their website.