
Finalists 2021
Below is a list of the 2021 FINALISTS in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The children's books were read and judged by children in 8 UK primary and secondary schools, the adult books by 2 Reading Groups, 1 in London and 1 in Stockholm. The books were marked according to EDITING, THEME, STYLE, COVER and, in the case of many of the children's books, ILLUSTRATIONS.
The WINNERS will be announced on April 1st, 2022.
Jump straight to:
- Category 1: Pre-school picture books
- Category 2: Books for 6 - 8 year olds
- Category 3: Books for 9 - 12 year olds
- Category 4: Books for Teenagers
- Category 5: Books for adults (fiction)
- Category 6: Books for Adults (non-fiction)
- Category 7: Audio Book - Children/Young Adult
- Category 8: Audio Book - Adult
- Category 9: Best Book Cover - Children/Young Adult
- Category 10: Best Book Cover - Adult
- Red Ribbon Bands
If you happen to be looking for a good read, the readers at The Wishing Shelf Awards thoroughly recommend the following:

Nurse Bear Does First Aid: Picture Book to Learn First Aid Skills for Toddlers and Kids
Author: Marta Almansa Esteva

Olive the Worrying Wiener: A Short Tale about a Particularly Long Dog
Author: Ally Arena
Illustrator: Rafaela Sukiyama

Monster in the Water: Fighting Back Against Harmful Algal Blooms
Author: Dylan Dagate
Illustrator: Maria Decerce

Sticky Icky Vicky: Courage over Fear
Author: Alysia Ssentamu, Michael Ssentamu
Illustrator: Noor Alshalabi

Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results: How an Explorer, an Engineer and a Statesman shaped our Modern World
Author: Brad Borkan and David Hirzel

Black, White, And Gray All Over; A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement
Author: Frederick Reynolds

Just Say "$%#&! NO!†Book Dedicated to the Well-Intended Overextended!
Author: Heather Tobin
Illustrator: Karen Tobin

Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander to Hitler to the Corporation
Author: Joseph N Abraham MD

Grandpa Jock and the Incredible Iron-Bru-Man Incident: Gorgeous George
Author: Stuart Reid
Performed by: Stuart Reid

Fries & Alibis: Paranormal Cozy Mystery: Mitzy Moon Mysteries Series, Book 1
Author: Trixie Silvertale
Performed by: Coleen Marlo

Systemology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems
Author: David Jenyns

The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People
Author: Deborah Stone
Performed by: Maggie Ollerenshaw

Little Wade and Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap
Author: Sean March
Cover Designer: Joe Ruiz

Rory, Quest for the Northern Lights
Author: Sarah Cullen, Carmen Ellis
Cover Designer: Zuzana Svobodova

The Young Adult’s Collection of Short Scary Stories
Author: Michael Ross
Cover Designer: Magdalena Adić
A Red Ribbon is awarded to a book that did NOT get over 30/40 to be a finalist, but was still very much enjoyed by the readers.
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REVOLUTION
A contemporary
satirical novel
Amazon
Lucy Wants To go To School
Perfect for apprehensive
children starting school
Amazon
How We Healed
A vivid family saga and an
unforgettable healing odyssey
Amazon
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
Starr of the Show
SEL shows a new squad how to
shine. MG Reader/School Issues
shinyfriendssupersquad.com
Finding Karen Black
The heartwarming mother-
daughter reunion story
Amazon
Wild Asses of Mojave Desert
“Funny & tender, moving &
poetic" Recommended US Review
books2read.com
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
Return to Vienna
How SOE worked to free
Austria from Hitler's grip
Amazon
Marvelous Mood-Mending Meadow
Picture Book About Gratitude &
Dealing with Kids Emotions
Amazon
A Bloody Hot Summer
Bloody murders occur in 1920s
England during a heatwave
Amazon
Children of the Realm
Girl finds mythical origins
in YA urban fantasy
Amazon
Chains of Prophecy
A man finds he is the chosen
sorcerer of Heaven.
Amazon
TOUCH
Gritty coming-of-age
fiction with a purpose
Amazon
The Boy and the Big White Rock
'...rewarding memoir of coming
of age in the 1960s.' KIRKUS
Barnes and Noble
FALSE NEUTRAL
One chance to finally
make sense of it all.
Amazon
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
VR,AR &AI in Special Education
Tech transforming special ed:
benefits, risks & apps
Amazon
Meet the Snozzeralls
Fun & Educational
Kids Picture Book
Amazon
DAUGHTER OF SPIES
Wartime Secrets, Family Lies
A FINALIST in TWSA
Amazon
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
The Princess and the Spy
A witty and heartfelt
YA fantasy mystery
Amazon
A Mixing Colour Adventure
Colour mixing, teamwork &
perseverance for 3 - 7 yr olds
Amazon
Soar: A Soul's Quest
A young eagle on a quest of
self-discovery & enlightenment
Amazon
SKY ICE
Demon hunters. Slow-burn
romance. Hidden world.
Amazon
MaryLou
"An engaging, well-crafted
family drama" TWSA
Amazon
The Power of...
kindness, gratitude,
empathy & positivity
Amazon
Popina & Slumberina
Join in a Magical Journey of
Growth and Self Discovery
Amazon
THE LIGHTNESS OF WATER
"A refined fantasy adventure”
- Silver Medal, TWSA
books2read.com
The Book of Wisdom-ish
Adventure begins with
a book. And an A.
Amazon
Harvey's Hutch
A man, nearly seventy,
looks back on his life.
Amazon
RIVER WITCH
A haunting, emotional tale
of magic and purpose.
Amazon
Marlon and the Scary Something
Scaredy cat finds courage,
foils fear, wins friend
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
An inspiring, heartfelt
journey of joy after loss
Amazon
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
Sneaky Snobby by Jennifer Kvam
LOOK OUT! Making trouble is
Sneaky Snobby´s hobby!
Amazon
Digging Deep by Dexter Hutt
She can cope with murder -
but what about betrayal?
Amazon
Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam … his humanity."
Amazon
Millie’s Magic
The little mouse
with a big heart.
Amazon
Pumpkin King Saves Christmas
How Santa became jolly with
the help of the Pumpkin King.
Amazon
REVOLUTION: A NOVEL
Comical misadventures in
modern Los Angeles
Amazon
HENRY
Inspiring WWII Nonfiction
survival account
Amazon
Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam …his humanity."
Amazon
A Vampire's Tooth Fairy Chase
A vampire with flat teeth
searches for the Tooth Fairy.
Amazon
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Children's mental health story
It's ok NOT to be ok
Amazon
HEALER'S BLADE
Can a young woman change
the fate of England?
StoryOrigin
Hieroglyph
A fantastical mix of history &
fantasy. GOLD medal winner!
Amazon
When Secrets Come to Light
A novel of love, mystery
friendships, and murder
www.georgerhopkins.com
The Eye of Nineveh (thriller)
They found a gem powered by
the gods. Now, it´s vanished.
Amazon
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon
A Trip From God, Book 1
NEW gods NEW religion NEW
prophet NEW order OLD insanity
Amazon
Winkle and Aster
Urban fantasy that takes
imagination to its limits
books2read
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
THE IMPROBABLE WONDERS OF
MOOJIE LITTLEMAN "Visionary,
magical, rich" -MC WEEKLY
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
It Rains in February
A wife's memoir of love,
suicide, grief and loss
Amazon
Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam …his humanity."
Amazon
The Gift of Knowing You
Discover all of who you are &
the power of your story.
Amazon