Take three friends, add one school, mix with one reality TV programme and an experiment to make contact with aliens - something's bound to go horribly wrong.

Dinah started school in Edinburgh and still annoys her family by listening to bagpipe CDs in the car but moved to the east end of London age nine. She was a singer in a band called The Locusts and left school at 15 to start work illegally (she now knows!) in a croissant shop in Charing Cross Road.  

Dinah moved to the small East Sussex town, Lewes, age 22, and studied music technology and jazz theory; trying to scrape a living she spent a number of years doing lots of jobs simultaneously: sound engineer in a studio (recording bands); youth worker in lots of different youth clubs; bar work; and aerobics instructor. She was also in the Territorial Army for a year – thoroughly enjoying all the running around, training and firing rifles - but had a problem with actually shooting people and didn’t like being ordered to do things. Dinah also worked full time in a secure unit for young offenders for five years.

In a mad desire to make some money Dinah studied economics with the Open University and talked her way into being a financial advisor for Lloyds bank. She passed the exams, but found she’d made a huge mistake and realised at this point that she only wanted to write, paint and make music.

Dinah now has three children’s books published by Scholastic Children’s Books; Warning! Aliens are Invading the School!,  Warning! Computers are Eating My Friend! and Warning! Vampires are Living Next Door! In 2008 Warning! Aliens are Invading the School, formally entitled Aliens Don’t Eat Dog Food, was shortlisted for the prestigious Roald Dahl Funny Prize.

Visit Dinah's website

Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Is Liam the best boy for the job?

Frank Cottrell Boyce is a children's novelist and screenwriter. His first book, Millions, won the Carnegie Medal in 2005 and was made into a film by Danny Boyle. His second, Framed, is currently being filmed by the BBC. His latest book Cosmic was shortlisted for the Guardian Book Award and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. 

He wrote the films, Millions, 24 Hour Party People, Welcome to Sarajevo and Hilary and Jackie.

He lives in Liverpool with his wife and seven children.

‘Luuuurve God’ Masimo has gone back to Italy for the summer and she finds herself drawn to her old friend Dave the Laugh, who seems to be drawn to her too…

Mr Gum is a very nasty man. He is mean, cruel, smelly and ruthless and has a dastardly plan to make money out of Padlock the bear.

Willaby Wallaby is throwing a wobbly...He’s quite determined he still needs a pouch to live in, but suddenly it’s just too knobbly, wodgy, wedgy and wriggly and so he jumps out.

Jeanne wrote her first book when she was five years old and hasn't stopped writing since. She now has over eighty titles to her name, including picture books, novels and television scripts. She has also won numerous awards, including the Children's Book Award, the Sheffield Children's Book Award and the Silver Smarties Prize. Her teen novel, Naked Without a Hat (Faber) was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award in 2004. She often takes inspiration from dreams and interesting conversations with strangers.

This is an intelligent and entertaining picture book, with unique and fascinating illustrations.

As a picture book creator Oliver Jeffers has been the recipient of some of children's books highest accolades, including the Nestle Gold Medal for Lost and Found and the Irish Picture Book of the Year for The Incredible Book Eating Boy. Other award-winning titles include The Way Back Home, which was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway medal. An animated film of Oliver's book Lost and Found won a BAFTA for Best Animation in 2009. Oliver was born in Belfast but now lives in New York City.

The award-winning creators of The Gruffalo now present us with a modern variation on a long-established folk tale theme, which details the perilous adventures of a stick.

Julia Donaldson is one of today's most popular writers. Her bestselling titles include The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child and Room on the Broom. Although she is best-known for her picture books, Julia also writes longer novels, plays and songs. She lives in Glasgow and spends a lot of time on stage performing her brilliant sell-out singalong shows!

Julia Donaldson is the Children's Laureate 2011-13.

Axel Scheffler has achieved worldwide acclaim for his children's book illustration, and his books have been translated into over twenty languages. He has illustrated many children's books including The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo Child's, The Snail and the Whale and Room on the Broom. Born in Germany, Axel now lives in London with his partner and daughter.

Ayto's intricate, witty illustrations add immeasurably to Jones' zany storyline, each creating a wonderfully different day at school, before reassuringly returning everything to normality.