YOUNGSTERS dressing up as their favourite literary characters was one of a variety of ways school children celebrated World Book Day.

Classrooms in and around Exmouth were filled with Harry Potter lookalikes, brave superheroes and scary monsters among many others for the event held last week.

Some schools marked the day by inviting guest storytellers into their schools including authors and parents.

World Book Day, on March 3, is a celebration of reading and is marked in more than 100 countries around the globe.

Youngsters at Treehouse Pre-school made their own stories and poems for the day. Sandra Hurlock, early years’ teacher, said: “There were a lot of parents who came in and said they enjoyed reading books to the children – many of which made them laugh.

“The children all made a story each. There were about 60 in total.”

Pupils at Exeter Road primary wore fancy dress for the event.

And at Lympstone Primary School, head teacher, Tony Priest, said scores of parents visited to help read books.

“I was delighted with the turnout,” he said. “In some classes there were as many parents as there were children.

“They were invited in to read books to the pupils and to see what books we have here at the school.”

Children from Lady Seaward’s School in Clyst St George, Littleham Primary, St Peters School, All Saints and Bendarroch schools, all marked World Book Day.

Libraries across East Devon also got in on the act by holding a range of special events.

Sarah Taylor, of Pound Lane, Exmouth, was one of thousands of people chosen to be a ‘giver’ as part of the inaugural World Book Night. She chose the title ‘Toast’, by Nigel Slater, to give away.

For the first World Book Night, some 20,000 people, of which Sarah was one, were asked to pick their favourite title from 25 books and were then given 48 copies to pass on to friends with their recommendation.