CHILDREN across Oxford celebrated World Book Day by dressing up as their favourite literary characters.

Pupils at Pegasus School in Blackbird Leys and St Nicholas’ Primary in Old Marston were among those who spent the day in fancy dress.

The youngsters also listened to stories and enjoyed reading some of the best children’s books.

St Nicholas’ deputy head Linda Denoon said: “The children get a huge amount out of it. It ups the profile of reading, and it is hugely enjoyable.”

Youngsters at West Oxford Community Primary School got into their pyjamas for a special bedtime storytelling session on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, two brothers from New College School, Theo and Felix Ross, both had their winning stories published after beating 3,800 other entrants to become among 24 winners of the Evans Short Story Competition.

Theo, 11, has had his story Solo published in anthology Imagination Station, while younger brother Felix, 10, has seen There’s No Such Thing As Magic appear in primary school collection Special Agents.

Hundreds of children from North Hinksey, Wootton, West Oxford, and Hailey primary schools, plus The European School, Culham, were given free book vouchers when author Anthony Cope and his dog Lara gave a talk at Oxford Brookes University’s Westminster Institute of Education, North Hinksey, on Thursday.

Pupils from Ferndale School, Faringdon, spent yesterday visiting Oxford’s Blackwell’s bookshop to stock up the school library, and the city’s Bodleian Library staged a special exhibition of papers from novelist John Le Carre, who recently donated his archive to the library.

Readers across Oxfordshire will be giving away hundreds of free books today.

In Oxford, retired modern languages teacher Arthur Miller, 71, will be handing out copies of Kate Atkinson’s detective novel Case Histories at Headington library.