06/03/2014 Newsround

It's Thursday afternoon. I'm Jenny, live with all of today's top

stories. Coming up: we will be finding out what goes into a good

read on World Book Day. We take a look at some of the

colourful costumes you've been sending us to celebrate! And Team

GB's flag bearer at the Sochi Games is the country's youngest ever

Paralympian. This is Newsround. All day today you've been sending us

pics of utterly amazing costumes because it's World Book Day, a

global celebration of writers, illustrators and everything

brilliant about reading. Loads of you have got in touch and I've been

having a look at the favourite literary characters you've been

dressing up as. Kicking off, we have Oliver as

Mickey Mouse. Milo has gone all out with Rupert. Dorothy from the Wizard

of ours and we have another Dorothy joined by snow-white. This is

definitely the mad Hatter. So fear makes a brilliant gangster granny.

That is Ben from gangster granny. Then we have Felix as Harry Potter.

Brilliant costumes there thanks for sending them in. And there are

plenty more on the website. So, just what is it that makes a really good

story? Leah has been finding out. Earlier this morning in a brightly

lit studio in Salford, I met the winner of the best story award for

Blue Peter. What goes into making a really good book? I met up with

Catherine to find out what goes into making a fantastic read. The first

with the character. You need a character you feel strongly about.

It matters you care what happens to them. The type of characters I like

are the ones with a kind heart. I like them to be shy and then when

they come to the end, they stand up for themselves. A good character is

who likes to save people and destroyed the bad people. My second

tip with the story, that makes you want to keep turning the page and

stay up late to finish it and makes you care about it. An adventure.

Something glorious back can happen in your book that maybe cannot

happen in real life and will take you to places only books can take

you. But the important thing is, pick up a book and get reading and

write your own stories. Who knows, you could be picking up a top prize

on World Book Day. Thanks Leah. So if you're a budding

writer what's the best way to get scribbling yourself? We asked

Children's Laureate and top novelist, Malorie Blackman. Write

about the things you care about, things that make you laugh and cry,

make you angry. Right about the story and think about your

characters and maybe have things get worse in the middle before they get

better at the end. And my third tip would be, don't give up.

Next, let's get some of the day's other big stories. The latest from

Ukraine is that today members of parliament for Crimea in the south

of the country have asked for the region to become part of Russia. If

Russia's leaders agree then in ten days Crimean citizens will be asked

to vote whether they want to be part of Russia or stay within the

Ukraine. Many people in the region consider themselves more Russian

than Ukrainian. World leaders have strongly criticised Russia this week

for taking control of Crimea using armed troops.

Finally, with just one day to go until the Paralympic Winter Games

start in Sochi, it's been revealed today that 15-year-old Millie

Knight, will be team GB's flag bearer at tomorrow's opening

ceremony. Millie is Great Britain's youngest ever Winter Paralympian and

will compete in the Alpine Skiing event next week. She spoke earlier

about how she found out she'd be flying the flag. This morning I was

told I had a meeting. I wasn't sure what it was about. I thought I was

in trouble. I was in the meeting and they were like, so, as you might be

aware the opening ceremony is tomorrow and I would like you to be

our flag bearer. It was amazing. Wonderful, congratulations Millie!

That's all from me, Newsround's back at 6.55am. Blue Peter are

celebrating World Book Day in about an hour.