They put in a solid 12 hours at school on August 14 to get their 5000 word stories planned, written, edited, illustrated and submitted within the time limits of the competition.

School librarian Haridian Ramirez received an email at midnight the day before, stipulating the parameters for each team, which she handed out at 8am the next morning.

"It's full on work, work, work all day," she said.

Eve Pullinger, writer and editor in the ten-person team called the Multi-Meal Club, explained that their book needed to include as characters a cheesemaker, a hip-hop dancer and a garden gnome.

After working together for an hour or so to come up with the storyline, each team member went off to work on a particular chapter, and when they'd finished it, they sent it to Eve.

"Then I edited it all," Eve said. "I made sure it flowed."

Their story was about a lad who thwarted his cheesemaker father's wishes by declaring he wanted to become a hip-hop dancer, rather than join the family business.

Conflict, consequences and a journey through a magical landscape to rescue the family of a banished garden gnome ensued.

"With these books, they have to have in mind that they are aimed at children in hospital," Haridian explained.

As well as being distributed to sick children, the books are judged, with finalists being notified in October and winners in November.