
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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Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam …his humanity."
Amazon
HUNGRY TRAILS
‘A…culturally rich family
chronicle.’ Kirkus Review
Amazon
MATTER PRESS
Compressed fiction
with a bang
Matter Press
BROKEN
A victim to survivor love
story with a twist.
Amazon
Digging Deep by Dexter Hutt
She can cope with murder -
but what about betrayal?
Amazon
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
A Good Day and Other...
A wide-ranging collection
of imaginative, funny stories.
Amazon
The Third Estate
WHEN THE TRUTH SURFACES
AND THE LIES are REVEALED
Amazon
Nantucket Monsters
Island monsters on the sly,
live in the corner your eye
B. LAWSON HULL
Children of the Realm
Girl finds mythical origins
in YA urban fantasy
Amazon
THE LIGHTNESS OF WATER
"A refined fantasy adventure”
- Silver Medal, TWSA
books2read.com
Me and My Shadow
Honest reflection how cancer
took a boy to death’s door.
Amazon
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
Irish Famine Novel
My novel Hungry Trails
celebrates family resilience
Amazon
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com
Little Puppy's Great Adventure
Adorable story. Great for
both parents as well as kids.
Amazon
Anna and the Adders
A rhyming counting book
to get little ones learning
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com
SECRET SKY
Everybody wishes they could
fly - until it happens
books2read.com
Sammie and Pumpkin
An adopted dog learns
how to make new friends.
Amazon
Children of the Knight
When the children rise,
will the city fall?
Amazon
Adventures of Negassi Brothers
Exciting children's adventure
into African history
Amazon
Day & Night
A behind the scenes tour
and evening immersion!
Amazon
Marlon and the Scary Something
Scaredy cat finds courage,
foils fear, wins friend
Amazon
LOOK AWAY NO MORE
A story rich in history & love
at a Georgia college in 1970.
Amazon
Tatiana and the Russian Wolves
A Russian émigré reconciles
tragic family secrets
www.stephenevansjordan.com
Writing in a Nutshell
Writing Workshops to
Improve Your Craft
Amazon
EVERKNIGHT
A Heroic Journey of
Uncompromising Honor
Amazon
Sneaky Snobby by Jennifer Kvam
LOOK OUT! Making trouble is
Sneaky Snobby´s hobby!
Amazon
❜Twas the Day of Christmas
Join Marco, Pet Pom Dog
and Santa for the Holidays
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
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
Clifftop Farm in Wartime
A story of WW2
evacuated children
Amazon
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Children's mental health story
It's ok NOT to be ok
Amazon
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
Chronicles of MatiLou/PerryAnn
Through it all the girls work
to save Mother Earth.
Amazon
Sophia and Sinclair Get Lost!
A rabbit and a turtle get
lost in a hay maze!
Amazon
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
MEMOIR OF A MANGLED MIND
Three minds. One body.
And nobody is safe.
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
The Power of...
kindness, gratitude,
empathy & positivity
Amazon
Winds of Discontent
Gun running, investigative
reporter and Yvonne
Amazon
WHEN JESUS CALLS
A Story of Undeniable Faith.
TWSA 2023 FINALIST
marthagayle
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
The Broken Wife
A gripping tale of love,
loss, and BETRAYAL.
Amazon
In Other Words, Poetic Journey
Explore life through the eyes
of a tireless wanderer
Amazon
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
Publishing Questions?
Find easy to understand
answers, top tips & more.
oldmatemedia
The Campbell Sisters
3 sisters work towards very
different goals in 1955 NYC
Amazon
Exclusion Zone
The VORKOSIGAN SAGA
meets DIE HARD.
Amazon
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Amazon
Tuskie’s Travels
Tuskie teaches his crew to
dissolve upsets in 30 seconds!
www.thekidcode.ca
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
Tatiana and the Russian Wolves
A Russian émigré reconciles
tragic family secrets
www.stephenevansjordan.com
Aunty Jane Knits Up A Storm
Knitting, Friendship, Loss &
Healing in a Children's Story
Amazon