READING is cool, according to the 200 children who packed into Bolton's Festival Hall for the first Bolton Children's Book Awards.

All eight shortlisted authors turned up for the event and excited young readers, clutching their books, gathered to get their autographs.

The event was the culmination of months of work by secondary school pupils in the borough in conjunction with the Bolton Literary Trust and other organisations.

The pupils at the 13 schools were given a list of novels to read and asked to vote for their favourites.

The winner was The Recruit, a first novel by private investigator turned writer Robert Muchamore which tells the tale of James, the newest recruit to the childrens branch of MI5. Huge queues of excited children gathered to meet Mr Muchamore.

"It is really great," said Mr Muchamore. "All this is quite new to me and I can never quite believe I am an author!"

Two of his fans, Phillip Tuckley, aged 14, and Amanda Wood, aged 12, from Thornleigh Salesian College, raved about his work and are planning to read more in the series when they are published.

"It is fantasy, but it is like you can really believe it could happen," said Amanda.

Organisers were so pleased with the success of the project that there are plans to make the awards an annual event.