Being a villain takes training, dedication and a good understanding of other villains. Here are some activities and ideas suitable for bookshops, libraries and classrooms that can help to bring out the villain in anybody:

• Why not hold a special villain day and invite everyone to come along dressed as their favourite villain from a book. You could act out scenes from the books, get everyone to say what it is about that villain they really like, and finally vote for your favourite in the BigBadRead.



• Create a display in your classroom, library or bookshop featuring some of the books in the top 40. You could re-design the book jackets in a way that brings out the villainous characters from the books.



• Many of the books in the top 40 have been turned in to films. Watch a segment from the movie and then compare the film version of the villain to the one in the book. Are there any differences?



• Pick a passage from a book and explore the way that villains are described. What words are used to bring out the bad side of the character? How does the character speak? Are there clues in the text that explain why the villain is so bad?



• Not all villains are necessarily bad. Try and think of some sympathetic villains such as Artemis Fowl or Frankenstein’s monster. What makes them different from other villains? How does the author try and get this sympathetic side across?



• Invent your very own villain. You could draw them or write a short story about them. What are there wicked plans? Do they have any special powers? What kind of hero would be able to defeat them?



• Finally, take the Villainy Test. Try it out on friends, family and classmates to see who is the villainous of them all.