YOUNG bookworms in East Lancashire have been writing about their favourite books as part of a competition to mark the national year of reading.

More than 600 children entered the competition which was run by Julia Copus, the Blackburn with Darwen writer in residence.

Entrants were separated into three age groups with the under nine section being won by Mohammed Ougradar who reviewed Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.

Second place went to Philip Aspinall and third place to Gemma Hamill.

In the nine to 12 section Catherine Hartley won with her review of Watership Down by Richard Adams with Eleanor Farquhar in second place and Fiona Blackledge and Emma Taylor in third. In the 13 to 15 age group Rebecca Chenery was successful with her review of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. In second place was Rebecca Roach and in third Eleanor Pelech.

An anthology of hundreds of the best entries was presented to Jean Gabbatt, the lending services manager at Blackburn Library.

Julia Copus said: "It was clear from reading through the hundreds of entries that young people continue to read with a keen awareness and a real sense of excitement.

"It is also heartening to know that, in our computerised age, reading as a leisure activity is still very much alive in the borough of Blackburn with Darwen.

"If this borough is typical of the nation as a whole, books have a very bright future indeed."

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