10-year-old Nathan Eze Celebrates World Book Day Beyond Dressing Up with the Release of His Second Book

For many children, World Book Day is an exciting time to dress up as their favourite book characters, collect book tokens, and celebrate reading in classrooms across the UK and around the world. But for 10-year-old Nathan Eze, the occasion holds even deeper significance as it marks the release of his second book, Ruby, Don’t Be Naughty!, solidifying his place as one of the UK’s youngest authors.

A young Nigerian living in the UK, Nathan is proving that World Book Day is about more than just costumes. It’s about storytelling, creativity, and the power of words. His journey into publishing began at the age of eight when he joined a creative writing class with the
ambition to write a book and, as he candidly puts it, “be famous.” That dream quickly transformed into a passion, leading to his first book, Ruby, Don’t Lie!, which was published on World Book Day 2024. The book, which explores themes of honesty and trust through the mischievous character Ruby, resonated with young readers and gained media recognition, including an interview with BBC CWR Sounds and Pulse Nigeria.

Now, just a year later, Nathan is back with Ruby, Don’t Be Naughty!, released today, 6th March 2025, once again marking his literary milestone alongside the global celebration of books. The latest instalment in the Ruby series, published by Jordan Hill Publishing, a company dedicated to publishing, promoting, and celebrating young writers, is described as even “more interesting and funnier” than the first. Through Ruby’s mischievous adventures, the book teaches valuable lessons about friendship, self-identity, and kindness. Nathan Eze shares, “Hey, don’t be naughty!

If you’re naughty, your friends might get upset. But if you’re kind, everyone’s happy, and you’ll make lots of friends!” It features more words, engaging illustrations, and interactive activities, including a “Ruby Creative Playground” to encourage young readers to immerse themselves in storytelling.

Nathan’s love for writing stems from his deep appreciation for books. A dedicated reader, he cites Francesca Simon’s Horrid Henry series as his biggest inspiration. “It’s hilarious,” he says, adding that its humour and relatable characters motivated him to create Ruby, a character who, like many children, sometimes makes mistakes but learns valuable life lessons. “I wanted kids to see that even if they misbehave, they can still change, or they will have to face the consequences,” he explains.

His dedication to writing has not only made him a published author but also highlighted the importance of reading. “Reading books helps build my imagination so I can write my own stories. It also helps me with spelling and improves my vocabulary.” Dressed as an evacuee and portraying David Carey from the novel Friend or Foe by Michael Morpurgo on World Book Day, Nathan showed that while dressing up is part of the celebration, World Book Day is also about promoting the power of reading and creating your own stories. It’s about how reading can inspire you to write your own books. He shared this message with pupils from Reception to Year Six at his school during a special assembly celebrating World Book Day 2025, which he attended as a young author alongside his mum, Adeola Eze, a children’s book author and young writers’ mentor, emphasising the value of reading a wide range of books.

With Ruby, Don’t Be Naughty! being released on 6th March 2025, Nathan hopes to inspire other children to explore their creativity and storytelling potential. His story proves that with passion and dedication, anyone can become an author, regardless of age.