21 Wonderful Classic Book Week Costume Inspirations for Boys and Girls

One of my favorite school activities was book week. School book weeks give kids the opportunity to role-play as their favorite book characters. Books open a lot of great opportunities to learn about the world. They take us to magical places that can only be reached through imagination. Characters from stories written in books leave a permanent mark all of our lives parents and kids alike. Kids learn values from these characters that inspire them to grow and develop into well-rounded adults.

If you need some costume ideas for school book week, here are some costume ideas that they might enjoy! You are not limited to any of these but it’s a great starting place.

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DISNEY’S WONDERFUL WORLD OF READING SERIES

1. PETER PAN

A mischievous young boy who spends his never-ending childhood in Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys. Peter is creative and good-hearted. This costume can be bought or easily DIYed with this no-sewn tutorial.

2. TINKER BELL

Peter Pan’s sassy and feisty fairy friend. She is highly protective of Peter and accompanies him in his adventures. Check out this DIY Tinkerbell tutorial for little girls (age 3-5 mainly.) Talk about cute and easy!

3. TARZAN

Tarzan is a feral child raised by the Mangani great apes in the African Jungle. Part of Disney’s Wonderful World of Reading, Tarzan grew up and met Jane with her looney scientist father…and their adventures have inspired wild little kids everywhere to embrace their inner jungle.

4. LITTLE BO PEEP

Little Bo-Peep was made famous in the Toy Story series inspired by the classic character from nursery rhymes and baby books. She is a shepherd girl who lost her sheep but in Toy Story 4, she’s the levelheaded – smart – and kindhearted girlfriend of Woody. Although not classically Disney, this costume would be an easy choice if you want a cute dress that can be worn and used for other things beyond just once for book week or Halloween.

5. SIMBA

For kids who love dressing up as animals, Simba is the protagonist in the classic Disney release of Lion King. If your child isn’t a big reader (yet), you should check out of my favorites: Lion King’s “I Am Simba” published by Little Golden Books.

Now any lion would make an awesome costume so it’s a great safe choice – just don’t wear one if it’s going to be above 70 degrees that day!

BEST DR. SEUSS CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS

1. THE CAT IN THE HAT

The story of the cat in the hat focuses on a tall cat that has human characteristics and who wears a red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie.

2. THE LORAX

The Lorax tells an inspiring story about how we care for the environment. It focuses on the actions of people that cause harm to the place that we live in.

3. I Am Sam

“I was able to put together this green eggs and ham costume in less than an hour for about five bucks.” Wow! This craft-loving Mother of 5 created the perfect I Am Sam costume from every foodie’s favorite Dr. Seuss’ book – Green Eggs & Ham.

FANTASY BOOKS (UPPER ELEMENTARY)

1. HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter is a young boy who always looks for the positive things in life. He does not easily give up, he always finds the courage to brave his battles, and he treats his team as his family.

2. HERMIONE GRANGER

Hermione is a smart and inquisitive young girl. She always prepares for her wizard lessons, she makes sure to ask whenever something is not clear to her, and she always motivates her teammates. She is in Gryffindor with Harry and Ron which makes her costume great for twins or siblings in similar grades.

3. FRODO BAGGINS

Frodo has several good characteristics as the ring-bearer in The Hobbit. He is wise, brave, good-hearted, and selfless. This parent made the most perfect Frodo Baggin’s costume for their little one, check out the full tutorial on Imgur.

4. LEGOLAS GREENLEAF

Legolas is an immensely strong, wise, and brave elf. He is good at swiftly drawing a great war-bow as the messenger of his father.

CONTEMPORARY BOOK CHARACTERS

If you want other easy inspirations, how about Matilda? Or any of Roald Dahl’s wonderful creators like James (Giant Peach), Mr. Fox (Fantastic Mr. Fox), The Witches, Oompa Loompa, and BFG (Big Friendly Giant.)

1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

Dress your kid as Greg Heffley, the protagonist in this best-selling book series.

2. NIGHT FURY

Toothless is one of the most loyal dragons a trainer could ever ask for. He will reciprocate the kindness that was shown to him and he is not afraid to risk his life for the sake of others.

3. SHERLOCK HOLMES

This costume is perfect for kids who love to play as detectives. Check out Lauren’s detail-oriented DIY tutorial of how to get this famous London detective to come alive!

CLASSIC FAIRY TALE BOOKS

1. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

The iconic story between the big bad wolf and the young girl who always traveled with her red riding cloak.

2. GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Your kids may be interested in dressing up as the mischievous Goldilocks, or as one of the cute and cuddly bears.

3. JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

A lucky boy that got his hands on some magic beans? Defeat a giant and steal a golden goose? What an exciting day! You can easily recreate this look of Jack and the beanstalk with a few every-day things. Just get crafty with some colored paper, pool noodle, cardboard, and plastic vines…and the Giant…is dad available?

4. QUEEN OF HEARTS

The Red Queen is the main antagonist in Alice in Wonderland. She appears to be strict and cold with a heart-shaped head and pouty lips. Queen of Hearts has always been a super popular costume among teenagers and adults, but your young kiddo can stay unique with this costume at school.

5. WILLY WONKA

Roald Dahl was my literacy hero as an elementary schooler. I read his books every day to escape the boredom. Willy was one of my favorite characters. Weirdo or genius? Or both? Hey, he owns a chocolate factory, and that’s pretty cool! Fulfill your child’s chocolate fantasies by dressing up as this inventor, visionary, and mad weirdo, Willy Wonka himself!

6. JACK SKELLINGTON

Last but not least is Jack Skellington from the interesting story of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas book. Be careful with this one, a little red and it can turn into the Joker.

Reading provides an avenue to enhance vocabularies, experience new emotions, and strengthen interpersonal relationships. There are so many amazing books out there, I’ll expand on this list someday. I absolutely look too many to mention only 21!

I hope you were able to get some fun and easy ideas from this little list. Good luck with book week! Please let me know what you did by dropping a comment below. Maybe I’ll add it to the list 😉

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