
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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EVERKNIGHT
A Heroic Journey of
Uncompromising Honor
Amazon
THE CURIST
Abby Steel hunts an evil
killer. Can he be caught?
Amazon
Dislodged
“An LGBTQ+ thriller and a
tale for the working class…â€
Amazon
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
Day & Night
A behind the scenes tour
and evening immersion!
Amazon
Samurai's Gift Among Forest
A grieving child's journey
to healing her spirit.
books2read
❜Twas the Day of Christmas
Join Marco, Pet Pom Dog
and Santa for the Holidays
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
GRAVE SECRETS-Cassandra Aston
The dark fantasy you've
been waiting for
Amazon
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
Master of Music - Marla Himeda
Book 1 of a unique,
inspirational fantasy series!
Amazon
The Silence of Children
An accidental vigilante with
no superhero skills
Amazon
Millie’s Magic
The little mouse
with a big heart.
Amazon
Marlon and the Scary Something
Scaredy cat finds courage,
foils fear, wins friend
Amazon
Guiding Kids Through Anger
Parenting chaos
meets humor therapy
Amazon
Gigglet Goes to School
Get your giggle on with
Gigglet. Perfect for 0 - 6 yrs
AMB Kids Books
GOING UNDER THE RADAR
Honest, insightful, battling
autism/mental health - TWSA
Amazon
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
A Rage To Live
A true boys' coming of age
story set during the Holocaust
Amazon
A First Book of Microbiology
A fun learning journey
down the microscope lens.
Amazon
INTO THE BLAZE
A new trilogy where fantasy,
myth, and reality entwine
Amazon
The Stress Book
STRESS MANAGEMENT & PREVENTION
BOOK, WINNER OF 40+ AWARDS
Amazon
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
Momma Llama World
Free coloring sheets,
animated stories & more.
Meet Momma Llama
More Future Dreams/Nightmares
Award-winning SF short
stories of AIs and robots.
Donald Firesmith
Children Who Dance in the Rain
A children's book about
gratitude and self-discovery.
Amazon
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
DON'T DOUBT THE RAINBOW series
Crime-busting teen
detective adventures!
www.crownhouse.co.uk
Look 'N Up Invasion
A clever mix of fantasy,
family drama & cultural debate
Goodreads
Bentley's Fantabulous Idea
Embark on a whimsical colorful
journey filled with fun
MikiTaylor
The Collective Consciousness
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
The Girl Who Looked Beyond...
13 yrs old. How can she have
a destiny to save the world?
Amazon
Demons to Champions
A tale of neurodivergent
awakening and triumph.
Amazon
The Long Road to Namai
Adventures of a daughter of
Earth on a planet of psychics
Amazon
My Therapy Assistant
Self-Care Journal
& Mood Tracker
YouTube
THE SOCIETY
A NATION is on the brink...
Only 1 woman can stop it
Amazon
BROKEN
A victim to survivor love
story with a twist.
Amazon
MaryLou
"An engaging, well-crafted
family drama" TWSA
Amazon
A Portion of Malice
A thought-provoking thrill
ride into the apocalypse
Amazon
Esme and Griswald
A WITCH in search of a
POTION to save her PRINCE
Amazon
Pebbles and the Biggest Number
A butterfly’s quest to
find the largest number
Amazon
Ruby the Emotional Stingray
Handling emotions for kids.
BEDTIME STORY
Amazon
CLEAR-CUTS
In 72 hours, a legend, a lore
& 2 brothers will all collide
Amazon
My Solo Wedding in Santorini
A true story. Honest,
thought-provoking & funny .
blogaboutl
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
My Year at the Good Bean Café
Weird and inexplicable events
and their effect on our lives
Amazon
The Last Lumenian
Most princesses need saving.
This one saves you.
Amazon
Wartime Secrets, Family Lies
London to life in Washington
in a family of secrets
Amazon
Tuskie’s Travels
Tuskie teaches his crew to
dissolve upsets in 30 seconds!
www.thekidcode.ca
CHILDREN OF HORSESHOE HIDEOUT
A modern day Boxcar Children,
loved the world over
Amazon
SEA CHANGE
Gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea
Nick Bamford
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com
Irish Famine Novel
My novel Hungry Trails
celebrates family resilience
Amazon
Finding Karen Black
The heartwarming mother-
daughter reunion story
Amazon
THE SOCIETY
Elizabeth Grant Thriller-woman
embroiled in a conspiracy
Amazon
Top Psychological Thriller
Two couples befriend each
other with tragic consequences
Amazon
Look 'N Up Invasion
Celebrate diversity by
imagining a world without it.
looknup.us
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon