Who wrote it?

Scriptwriter Andy Briggs, who has written scripts for Hollywood. Council of Evil (and Rise of the Heroes in the accompanying HERO.COM series) are his first novels.

What's it about?

School bully Jake Hunter receives a mysterious email inviting him to join a scheme for world domination. With unlimited power and wealth at his fingertips, how can he resist? But to get it he has to become an arch-criminal, entangled in a plan that threatens the planet. And that could just be a step too far . . . 'Council of Evil' is the first book in the action packed new anti-series 'VILLAIN.NET' - the perfect antidote to the series 'HERO.COM', also by screenwriter Andy Briggs. Which side are you on?

Fact File

Andy Briggs is a huge fan of Stan Lee, who created Spider-Man - so watch out for serious superheroes and villains!

Decide whose side you are on - VILLAIN.NET or HERO.COM - at www.whichsideareyouon.co.uk!

Who wrote it?

Siobhan Dowd, who also wrote A Swift Pure Cry and Bog Child.

What's it about?

When Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim get on board the London Eye, he turned and waved before getting on. But after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off - and no Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? So Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners, since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. This is an unputdownable spine-tingling thriller - a race against time.

Fact File

The London Eye Mystery has been shortlisted for many book awards and won the Bisto Book of the Year Award and the Southwark Book Award.

Siobhan Dowd's website is at www.siobhandowd.co.uk.

Who wrote it?

Matt Haig, who has written several books for adults. Shadow Forest is his first book for children.

What's it about?

Samuel Blink is the hero of this story, but he doesn't know it yet. Right now, he and his sister Martha are in the back of his parents' car. He has no idea a giant log is about to fall from the sky and change his life forever. He doesn't know that he and Martha will be forced to move to Norway and eat their Aunt Eda's smelly brown cheese. He hasn't the slightest clue Martha will disappear into Shadow Forest. It is a forest full of one-eyed trolls, the sinister huldre-folk, deadly Truth Pixies and a witch who steals shadows - a forest ruled by the evil Changemaker. It is a forest so dangerous that people who enter never return. No. Samuel Blink doesn't know any of this. So don't tell him. It might ruin the book...

Fact File

In the United States the book isn't called Shadow Forest, it's called Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest.

The Shadow Forest website is at www.shadowforest.co.uk.

Who wrote it?

Catherine Johnson, who has written eleven novels for young adults including Stella, Landlocked and Face Value, and who co-wrote the award-winning film Bullet Boy.

What's it about?

Cato Hopkins is the youngest member of Mother Hopkins' 'family' - a group of skilled fraudsters and pickpockets. There's Addy, who can become a very convincing boy when she needs to; the beautiful Bella, who can charm any rich young man out of his fortune; Sam, an escaped slave and Cato himself, a young boy, who Mother Hopkins has taught everything she knows.

But old age is slowing Mother Hopkins down, and she wants to carry out one last con, a con to outdo all the cons that have gone before. And so the gang set about bringing ruin upon Captain Walker, a proud and cruel slave captain, who deserves to be taught a lesson or two...

Fact File

A Nest of Vipers was the Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week and was shortlisted for the Phoenix Book Award.

Catherine Johnson's website is at www.catherinejohnson.co.uk.

Who wrote it?

Jeff Kinney, who is a website developer and designer in the United States. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is his first book.

What's it about?

Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into a new year and a new school where undersize weaklings share the corridors with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving. Desperate to prove his new found maturity, which only going up a grade can bring, Greg is happy to have his not-quite-so-cool sidekick, Rowley, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Recorded in his diary with comic pictures and his very own words, this test of Greg and Rowley's friendship unfolds with hilarious results.

Fact File

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an authentic diary adapted from the online cartoon at FunBrain.

The Wimpy Kid website is at www.wimpykid.com.