
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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False Neutral
A story of choices made & not
made, & the collision of paths
Amazon
For Evil Done & Evil Suffered
Gripping murder mystery; tease
the brain & stir the senses.
Amazon
CATNIP
Cosy mystery with catnapping,
murder and a dash of romance.
Amazon
BUILDING THE BEAST
Building a home-on-wheels
with zero blueprint.
Amazon
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
MUMMY TRUMPS
A rhyming flatulent book that
is fun for all of the family.
Amazon
The Long Road to Namai
Adventures of a daughter of
Earth on a planet of psychics
Amazon
My Year at the Good Bean Cafe
A riveting tale of unlikely
and inexplicable events.
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
Top Psychological Thriller
Two couples befriend each
other with tragic consequences
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
A Vampire's Tooth Fairy Chase
A vampire with flat teeth
searches for the Tooth Fairy.
Amazon
Wild Asses of Mojave Desert
“Funny & tender, moving &
poetic" Recommended US Review
books2read.com
TREACHERY!
A WW2 child
evacuee thriller
Amazon
Bentley Makes a Dump Cake
A delightful, messy adventure
with joy, teamwork, & color
Miki Taylor
Just Janey's Way
Janey wants EVERYTHING her way
Is Janey a STUBBORN BULLY?
Amazon
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon
Crowded platforms Window Seats
One family's adventures
around Europe by train.
Amazon
Out of the Darkness...
A memoir of animal
connections, love, and healing
books2read.com
Children of the Realm
Girl finds mythical origins
in YA urban fantasy
Amazon
Ian's Realm Saga
A 7 book adventure fantasy
series for the family.
gardnersart.com
Your Words Your Love
A dazzling explosion
of beauty for your soul.
books2read
The Crooked Ladder
It's time to climb...
or die
Amazon
Look 'N Up Invasion
Celebrate diversity by
imagining a world without it.
looknup.us
Pure Ink Press
Quality partnership publisher
open for submissions
Pure Ink Press
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
DEAR JAMES
I know it's been 20 years, but
I needed to tell you I'm sorry
Amazon
Me Here Without You Now
A love story AFTER
the love story
Amazon/Apple
MEMOIR OF A MANGLED MIND
Three minds. One body.
And nobody is safe.
Amazon
The Antunite Chronicles
An allegory for our time,
a thrillogy for all ages.
Amazon
What Is the Shape of My Egg?
Introducing children to shape.
"An excellent STEM resource!"
Amazon
Hecatomb of the Vampire
5 horror tales link in book 1
of The Dark Rituals Saga
Amazon
THE SELFISH SHELLFISH & THE
SICK SEA an environmental gem
for the age. GET A COPY AT:
theprolificword.com
From Patriarchy to Paradise
The script is flipped:
Women steer back to garden.
expandjoy
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
The Gemini Connection
An intriguing thriller that
will keep you hooked.
Amazon
Escape From Peconic Bay
A novel of love, impending
war, and espionage.
books2read
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Battle for Eklatros
Can Ànifa’s party save
Eklatros from the invasion?
Amazon
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
Life with psychopathic brother
A quirky philosophical novel
about forgiveness.
linnaspen.com
A First Book of Microbiology
A fun learning journey
down the microscope lens.
Amazon
TOUCH
Gritty coming-of-age
fiction with a purpose
Amazon
The Boy from the Night Sky
Thrilling fantasy adventure
for all ages.
Amazon
WELCOME TO OPINE
Homo Sapiens 2.0: Will genetic
blessing be their undoing?
Amazon
GOING UNDER THE RADAR
Honest, insightful, battling
autism/mental health - TWSA
Amazon
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
Nantucket Monsters
Island monsters on the sly,
live in the corner your eye
B. LAWSON HULL
The Boy and the Big White Rock
'...rewarding memoir of coming
of age in the 1960s.' KIRKUS
Barnes and Noble
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
THE MERMELF
Mystery girl. Mermelves arrive
Dystopian rebellion begins
Amazon
Plea to a Frozen God
A desperate trio appeals
to the God of Death.
Amazon
Of Mountains and Seas
A multigenerational urban
fantasy mystery.
Amazon
Ruby the Emotional Stingray
Handling emotions for kids.
BEDTIME STORY
Amazon
The Woodsman
A 5* serial killer thriller
on Kindle and Unlimited
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
A woman’s inspiring quest for
comfort and joy after grief
Amazon
Don't Look Too Tasty
Hungry aliens, missing
friends. Who can you trust?
Amazon
TWO LEFT WINGS - Safety Averse
4 kids - heart-warming / funny
friendship and self-growth
Amazon
The Silence of Children
An accidental vigilante with
no superhero skills
Amazon