A children's author author has won favour with secondary school children as she was crowned the winner of a reading competition.

Narinder Dhami’s gripping book, Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, was one of eight which pupils, aged 11 to 14, had been reading as part of the Book Award challenge.

It is a story full of suspense, touching on serious subjects with honesty and sensitivity, not to mention an ending that is impossible to see coming.

It is the sixth year that the awards have been held as part of the challenge organised by a steering group with representatives from Bolton Council’s schools’ library service, secondary school librarians, Bolton Literacy Trust and the University of Bolton.

The initiative is sponsored by the University of Bolton and Page Nation.

It proved to be the most popular and she was announced as the winner at the Bolton Children’s Book Award ceremony at the Albert Halls on Saturday.

More than 200 children from 20 schools across Bolton, Bury, Blackburn and Salford attended the event.

The eight finalists were shortlisted by young readers in February. The other nominees were: Lifegame, by Alison Allen-Gray; Zelah Green, Queen of Clean, by Vanessa Curtis; Mondays Are Murder, by Tanya Landman; The Pickle King, by Rebecca Promitzer; The Soul Trade, by E E Richardson; Forbidden Island, by Malcolm Rose; and Wolven, by Di Toft.