
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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WHEN JESUS CALLS
A Story of Undeniable Faith.
TWSA 2023 FINALIST
marthagayle
A SQUEAKY TOY, A LEASH, AND
A PRAYER Mom's Choice Awards
GOLD - for dog loving families
Amazon
Social Media & Mental Health
‘’Empower your child to be
safe in the digital world’’
Amazon
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
THE WAY OF WATER
Brilliant YA Fantasy with
Magic, Mystery & Romance
Amazon
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
2024... Your Year of More
is a meaningful self-help
book for wise readers.
Amazon
LADY REAPER
Disorderly ghosts. Dejected
fays. Dreadful elves.
books2read.com
The Pivotal Pastor
A pastor and famous
architect transform a parish
Amazon
A Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams
13 creepy award-winning
stories for a cold, dark night
Amazon
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
Rainbow Bridge
Ever wondered where your
dog ends up after this life?
Amazon
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
The Silence of Children
An accidental vigilante with
no superhero skills
Amazon
From Patriarchy to Paradise
The script is flipped:
Women steer back to garden.
expandjoy
THE REPROBATES
Do you remember suffering
from a death of the soul?
www.benjamingrose.co.uk
Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam …his humanity."
Amazon
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Amazon
Popina & Slumberina
Join in a Magical Journey of
Growth and Self Discovery
Amazon
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
The Crooked Ladder
It's time to climb...
or die
Amazon
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
Lucy Wants To go To School
Perfect for apprehensive
children starting school
Amazon
Fit to Eat
Empower yourself to age
without chronic diseases.
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
Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Children's mental health story
It's ok NOT to be ok
Amazon
CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
$1000 prize & publication.
Open internationally.
VINE LEAVES PRESS
Nantucket Monsters
Island monsters on the sly,
live in the corner your eye
B. LAWSON HULL
Forever Boy
Isaac comes to realize his new
friend harbors dark secrets.
books2read
It Rains in February
A wife's memoir of love,
suicide, grief and loss
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
No Death in Finding Nemo
Stories of mundane lives which
change in surprising ways
www.jeffreyfeingold.com
HUNGRY TRAILS
‘A…culturally rich family
chronicle.’ Kirkus Review
Amazon
THE PEBBLE CHAMPION
A stirring tale
of sadness and self-discovery.
Amazon
THE MERMELF
Mystery girl. Mermelves arrive
Dystopian rebellion begins
Amazon
Growing up Hadley
A story to shatter your heart
then mend it anew.
danawritesbooks
In Other Words, Poetic Journey
Explore life through the eyes
of a tireless wanderer
Amazon
Beyond the Brink
Teleportation is just the
beginning...
Amazon
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Karin Adams
Into The Shadows
Journey from naïve university
student to a great spy.
marinemoments.uk
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
TOUCH
Gritty coming-of-age
fiction with a purpose
Amazon
Your Words Your Love
A dazzling explosion
of beauty for your soul.
books2read
THE PORTAL KEEPER
Enter a world of Fantastic
Creatures and Magic!
books2read
Into the BeanStalk
Corrupt megacity, broken world
A girl hiding from her past
Amazon
What Is the Shape of My Egg?
Introducing children to shape.
"An excellent STEM resource!"
Amazon
Sam & Me & the Hard Pear Tree
A personal account of
a mother’s ultimate loss
Amazon
LIKE NO OTHER - Cry.
Laugh.
Think.
www.fontreal.com
Aunty Jane Knits Up A Storm
Loss & healing through friend-
ship knitting and community.
Amazon
Thar She Blows
Brian got swallowed by
a whale. Mom’ll be mad.
www.books2read.com
MATTER PRESS
Compressed fiction
with a bang
Matter Press
The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior
"This happened in 1944 but
honored 80 years later!"
Amazon
The Monarchs
"A thought-provoking spiritual
quest" - Kirkus Reviews
Amazon
Life with psychopathic brother
A quirky philosophical novel
about forgiveness.
linnaspen.com
The Long Road to Namai
Adventures of a daughter of
Earth on a planet of psychics
Amazon