Sodding World Book Day - Help!!

Oioicaptain · 2023-03-01T13:19:15+00:00

Hi All, My son started secondary school in September. I felt sad at him leaving primary school, but this was compensated in part at the relief of not having to make another World Book Day costume at the 11th hour for him. Oh how wrong was I!! His school have stepped it up a notch by the addition of a theme. This year it's "pictures with words". This apparently can include, not just comics, but also illustrated non fiction books and book covers! He also has to have a copy of the book (although obtaining a book is the easy part). Help! I am clueless. I have thought of the book The Marvels as he has that and it is largely illustrative, but I do not have the motivation to run up a quick Regency Nautical costume at such short notice. Where's Wally is also out, as it doesn't have words! And how does one dress up as a book cover?! Anyone got any clever ideas for a fairly self conscious 12 year old boy, preferably not involving him having to wear one of my blouses back to front or a pair of ten denier tights! Any ideas much appreciated! I'm stumped.

Vegrocks · 01/03/2023 13:26

Secondary school? Be led entirely by him and what he wants to do based on what he knows his classmates are planning

PleasantZen · 01/03/2023 13:28

He's in high school it's his responsibility. Just help when he asks.

Original poster

Oioicaptain · 01/03/2023 14:25

You're seriously over estimating his organisational skills. We're talking about a just turned 12 year old boy with very little gumption or ideas. I have asked him and tried to offer suggestions, but to no avail. He doesn't finish school until fairly late and has various activities most nights so time is limited. He dislikes dressing up at the best of times. But equally he is petrified of getting into trouble, so won't dare show up without a costume. He also didn't know about it until 2 days ago, so expecting him to come up with his own costume tonight is a big ask. By contrast by 7 year old daughter has had tons of ideas for hers and has been working on her costume by herself for days. Maybe I should get her onto the case.

OP posts:

watchingpullimgepisode6 · 01/03/2023 14:27

Bollocks to that. Comp kids are too old

Needmorelego · 01/03/2023 14:27

Post It notes with words on attached to his clothes with safety pins.
He is The Dictionary.

NoSquirrels · 01/03/2023 14:28

What does he like to read?

watchingpullimgepisode6 · 01/03/2023 14:28

Too old for this sort of stuff now
My DD is year 6 and only the immature kids in her class dress up. Ours was Monday due to strikes and only 1 dressed up.
Ours wear PJs now instead to reflect bedtime stories.

LaFemmeDamnee · 01/03/2023 14:29

Can he not wear jeans and a batman/marvel tshirt, and carry a copy of the appropriate comic? Or a bit of black fabric pinned to his uniform and he's harry potter?

redbigbananafeet · 01/03/2023 14:29

Oioicaptain · 01/03/2023 14:25

You're seriously over estimating his organisational skills. We're talking about a just turned 12 year old boy with very little gumption or ideas. I have asked him and tried to offer suggestions, but to no avail. He doesn't finish school until fairly late and has various activities most nights so time is limited. He dislikes dressing up at the best of times. But equally he is petrified of getting into trouble, so won't dare show up without a costume. He also didn't know about it until 2 days ago, so expecting him to come up with his own costume tonight is a big ask. By contrast by 7 year old daughter has had tons of ideas for hers and has been working on her costume by herself for days. Maybe I should get her onto the case.

And he'll never not be without gumption or organizational skills if you continue to do these things for him.

ifonly4 · 01/03/2023 14:30

I know it's hard not to get involved, but he's at secondary now and needs to sort it out himself. He should choose who he wants to be (will probably be based on being able to wear his usual clothes!!), but if he needs some help he can always ask you.

NoSquirrels · 01/03/2023 14:32

Honestly, the theme makes it easy. Pick a book - any book you have - where something about the cover or topic is easy to make a costume.

E.g.

football related annual = football kit.

Comic book = alter ego of superhero e.g. Peter Parker (pen clothes + name tag, glasses etc)

Beautifully illustrated cover = matching colours outfit.

Do not overthink this. It’s secondary, they don’t want to stand out, your job is to match a book (any old book!) to a ‘costume’ that is not really a costume and allows them to blend in with normal clothes.

mumonthehill · 01/03/2023 14:32

I second jeans and a comic or marvel top, then if few have dressed up he will not feel self conscious. My ds when he was in year 7 would have hated this.

hryllilegur · 01/03/2023 14:38

It’s a really easy theme.

you could wear black and white and turn up with a newspaper and still meet that brief (they’re full of pictures with words).

all books have a cover.

Even sodding instagram can be sectioned as pictures with words.

Let him figure it out himself and won’t worry about it. The levels of effort employed will be really, really low.

It’s not like primary school. In fact, the boys may want to look like they’ve made as little effort as possible.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 01/03/2023 15:16

Does he have an orange t-shirt? WIth a torch and a black piece of paper with white lettering on, he could be the pencil from Words and Pictures. The teachers would love that.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 01/03/2023 15:20

A really easy one could be he has two books with BOOK and LIVRE stuck on the front, sunglasses, two mini flags, t-shirt and he's a French-English language guide/holiday book.

fyn · 01/03/2023 15:22

watchingpullimgepisode6 · 01/03/2023 14:28

Too old for this sort of stuff now
My DD is year 6 and only the immature kids in her class dress up. Ours was Monday due to strikes and only 1 dressed up.
Ours wear PJs now instead to reflect bedtime stories.

Imagine calling primary school age children immature for dressing up as their favourite book character on world book day.

MargaretThursday · 01/03/2023 16:11

Take the day off and tell the school he's there as the invisible man. Ds wanted to do that.

FredandAmy · 01/03/2023 16:36

watchingpullimgepisode6 · 01/03/2023 14:28

Too old for this sort of stuff now
My DD is year 6 and only the immature kids in her class dress up. Ours was Monday due to strikes and only 1 dressed up.
Ours wear PJs now instead to reflect bedtime stories.

Good lord, what a mean spirited judgmental post 😮

Vegrocks · 01/03/2023 17:02

watchingpullimgepisode6 · 01/03/2023 14:28

Too old for this sort of stuff now
My DD is year 6 and only the immature kids in her class dress up. Ours was Monday due to strikes and only 1 dressed up.
Ours wear PJs now instead to reflect bedtime stories.

Someone who writes this…. Well, I’ll take a punt that they’re pretty bloomin unpleasant and disliked in RL

Vegrocks · 01/03/2023 17:03

And if they mother thinks a year 6 is “immature” for doing this, you just have to hope she doesn’t pass this kind of mentality on it her children

babybythesea · 01/03/2023 17:19

Just William? Blazer, tie and cap?

Goingoutdancing · 01/03/2023 17:37

I think year 7 is too old too
Year 6 kids are sassy and don't want to look childish anymore
I have to agree with PP
Younger primary kids love it and rightly so but the older ones are over it.

Vegrocks · 01/03/2023 17:38

I can’t stress enough op

he has to get a feel from class mates what others are doing.

you can not drive this thinking he must be in an outfit

it may just be a half assed token gesture like coloured socks

LER83 · 01/03/2023 18:02

Is he sure everyone is dressing up? My ds's secondary encourage everyone to dress up and offers house points for those in costume etc, but in reality only a handful of pupils actually do it.

DelurkingAJ · 01/03/2023 18:05

DS1 wore lab coat and went with one of his science books…

Sodding World Book Day - Help!!

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