BUDDING Bards have won more than 5,000 books for their schools by taking part in a competition.

Ten youngsters from primary schools across Sussex were selected as winners of the Get Lost In A Book competition run by World of Books.

The Goring-based second-hand bookseller set children the challenge to draw or write themselves into their favourite story.

The company received more than 350 entries and a judging panel picked the winning ten.

They included Wilf Jenkins, from Balfour Primary School, in Balfour Road, Brighton, who wrote himself into his favourite book The Midnight Gang by David Walliams.

Other winners included Ashley Reynolds, of Holy Cross Church of England School, Uckfield, who included himself in Star Wars, Brooke Ellen Watts of Thakeham First School, Pulborough, who put herself in Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Shannon Neylan, of Langney Primary School, Eastbourne, who wrote herself into Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Carmina Anna Rands, of Beckley Church of England School, Rye, who chose Mary Poppins

In addition to 500 books for their school, each winner will receive a backpack filled with colouring books, arts and crafts sets, pens and pencils.

Stephen Boobyer, chief executive of World of Books, said: “We received so many fantastic entries that really captured our imagination.

“Choosing just ten winners proved extremely difficult, but we were particularly impressed with the creativity of the winning entries.

“The competition was all about bringing the excitement and joy of reading to a wider audience, and looking at all the wonderful drawings and stories we received it was clearly successful.”