
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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Of Mountains and Seas
A multigenerational urban
fantasy mystery.
Amazon
THE UNBROKEN
Love and adventure in
the strange worlds of mind.
Nigel Peace
How We Healed
A vivid family saga and an
unforgettable healing odyssey
Amazon
Destiny Lives on Fairhaven St.
A father's true story to his
sons. Winner of 17 awards.
Amazon
THE WAY OF WATER
Brilliant YA Fantasy with
Magic, Mystery & Romance
Amazon
LIKE NO OTHER - Cry.
Laugh.
Think.
www.fontreal.com
Epistolary
Mandy writes about her
life until tragedy strikes.
Amazon
SKY ICE
Demon hunters. Slow-burn
romance. Hidden world.
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
A woman’s inspiring quest for
comfort and joy after grief
Amazon
The Stress Book
STRESS MANAGEMENT & PREVENTION
BOOK, WINNER OF 40+ AWARDS
Amazon
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
IT'S OKAY NOT TO BE FABULOUS
A guide to finding self-love
and achieving your destiny💙
Amazon
CHARLES DARWIN...
An entertaining learning
resource for curious kids.
www.alanhesse.com
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
The Last Lumenian
Most princesses need saving.
This one saves you.
Amazon
Dislodged
“An LGBTQ+ thriller and a
tale for the working class…â€
Amazon
S.O.S. by Sue C Dugan
An exciting, time-travel
adventure for middle graders
Amazon
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
Growing up Hadley
A story to shatter your heart
then mend it anew.
danawritesbooks
The Shadow Deception
Can a pranking pixie and a
grumpy angel save the world?
Amazon
BEHIND THE PICKLE JAR
A fun, relatable,
emotionally powerful read!
Amazon
Fit to Eat
Empower yourself to age
without chronic diseases.
Amazon
2024... Your Year of More
is a meaningful self-help
book for wise readers.
Amazon
The Last Professional
A hobo, a wanderer, a madman-
their lives are on the line!
www.eddavisbooks.com
In Other Words, Poetic Journey
Explore life through the eyes
of a tireless wanderer
Amazon
Clifftop Farm in Wartime
A story of WW2
evacuated children
Amazon
Marco & Me
Stories & photos of the
adventures of a real dog
Amazon
Arni's Adventures
Pet dinosaur, bear, cat story
for the young reader.
Ashok
Perfect Middle Grade Series
Montana and her friends
save the forest animals!
Amazon
The Great Billy Butlin Race
First and only footrace from
John O’Groats to Land’s End
Stairwellbooks
JOYFUL LIFE PRESS
Books and workbooks that
entertain, support and inspire
www.joyfullifepress.com
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
Angry Arthur
and The Run Around Trick
Learn to manage big feelings
Amazon
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
Portraits of a Pandemic
The story of how a microscopic
virus changed our lives.
Amazon
A Lady Newspaperman's Dilemma
Alex’s goal: succeed in a 1926
male world of news reporting
Amazon
The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior
"This happened in 1944 but
honored 80 years later!"
Amazon
MORATURI LOST
Ship lost in Andromeda:
The vet is now Captain!
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
THEY'RE ALL BARKING
Springer Spaniel's eye-opening
view of human behaviour
Amazon
My Therapy Assistant
Self-Care Journal
& Mood Tracker
YouTube
A Good Day and Other...
A wide-ranging collection
of imaginative, funny stories.
Amazon
THE SOCIETY
A NATION is on the brink...
Only 1 woman can stop it
Amazon
LADY REAPER
Disorderly ghosts. Dejected
fays. Dreadful elves.
books2read.com
CATNIP
Cosy mystery with catnapping,
murder and a dash of romance.
Amazon
A HARD SILENCE
Grief, love, and learning to
speak the unspeakable
www.vineleavespress.com
RED CHAIR PRESS
Titles in Dyslexic and
/or Large Print editions
ReadHowYouWant
Puppy Pals and Puppy Tales
Letters from the family
dog’s point of view, 5-9 yrs.
Amazon
ARNI'S ADVENTURES
8 charming, silly, comic
stories to laugh at & enjoy.
Amazon
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
MUMMY TRUMPS
A rhyming flatulent book that
is fun for all of the family.
Amazon
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows, & humans
dying at Moonshine Mesa?
Amazon
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
INTO THE BLAZE
A new trilogy where fantasy,
myth, and reality entwine
Amazon
Adventures of Negassi Brothers
Exciting children's adventure
into African history
Amazon
VR,AR &AI in Special Education
Tech transforming special ed:
benefits, risks & apps
Amazon
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
Hieroglyph
A fantastical mix of history &
fantasy. GOLD medal winner!
Amazon