
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.
Sponsored Ads
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
Sneaky Snobby by Jennifer Kvam
LOOK OUT! Making trouble is
Sneaky Snobby´s hobby!
Amazon
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
A Voice from Heaven
Astounding secrets of life,
death, love and spirituality
wingsofpeacepress.com
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Love in the Cupboard
A sweet, clean Catholic Priest
seeks a wife rom-com
Amazon
Out of the Darkness...
A memoir of animal
connections, love, and healing
books2read.com
LADY REAPER
Disorderly ghosts. Dejected
fays. Dreadful elves.
books2read.com
THE SOCIETY
Elizabeth Grant Thriller-woman
embroiled in a conspiracy
Amazon
Escape From Peconic Bay
A fast-paced, historical novel
set during the run up to WW2
books2read
The Lost Heir Book 1 and 2
Mash Princess Bride
+ dash of GOT
Amazon
The Broken Wife
A gripping tale of love,
loss, and BETRAYAL.
Amazon
Epistolary
Mandy writes about her
life until tragedy strikes.
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Monty and the Monster
Heartwarming adventure
of an unlikely friendship
Amazon
False Neutral
A story of choices made & not
made, & the collision of paths
Amazon
Pebbles and the Biggest Number
A butterfly’s quest to
find the largest number
Amazon
SEA CHANGE
Gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea
Nick Bamford
Rainbow Bridge
Ever wondered where your
dog ends up after this life?
Amazon
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
Sammie and Pumpkin
An adopted dog learns
how to make new friends.
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
You're Gone
Meet Arthur: Widower, Son,
Brother, Friend, Murderer.
Amazon
BURT, THE AIRPORT CAT
Follow Burt, the black cat,
on a fun family adventure
Amazon
Gollogans of Carrickgollogan
An exciting woodland
adventure story for 7-9s
Amazon
HEALER'S BLADE
Can a young woman change
the fate of England?
StoryOrigin
From Patriarchy to Paradise
The script is flipped:
Women steer back to garden.
expandjoy
LIKE A HERO
Being a superhero WITHOUT
powers is never easy!
books2read
Plague of Flies
A young Latina fights to save
her people and land.
Amazon
The Boy and the Big White Rock
'...rewarding memoir of coming
of age in the 1960s.' KIRKUS
Barnes and Noble
EVERKNIGHT
A Heroic Journey of
Uncompromising Honor
Amazon
Oscar and Friends...
will help you along, sharing
a world where everyone belongs
mollyarbuthnott
THE MERMELF
Mystery girl. Mermelves arrive
Dystopian rebellion begins
Amazon
NEW TRAILS
One step changed his world.
One man changed his heart.
Amazon
THE FOUNDLING
A foundling rises to
reclaim his stolen birthright
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
2024... Your Year of More
is a meaningful self-help
book for wise readers.
Amazon
Churchill’s Secret Army
WW2 courage and sacrifice
in the undercover SOE
www.cloudshillpress.com
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Woster
Finding Karen Black
The heartwarming mother-
daughter reunion story
Amazon
Around the Globe
The Adventures of Squishy
and Boo, Book 3
Amazon
Irish Famine Novel
My novel Hungry Trails
celebrates family resilience
Amazon
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
My Year at the Good Bean Café
Weird and inexplicable events
and their effect on our lives
Amazon
LADY IN RED
Teen sleuths search for
a missing masterpiece.
Amazon
Gigglet Goes to School
Get your giggle on with
Gigglet. Perfect for 0 - 6 yrs
AMB Kids Books
Return to Vienna
How SOE worked to free
Austria from Hitler's grip
Amazon
Captain Polo Saving the Planet
"Eco-adventure comics
for middle graders"
www.alanhesse.com
Master of Music - Marla Himeda
Book 1 of a unique,
inspirational fantasy series!
Amazon
A Trip From God, Book 1
NEW gods NEW religion NEW
prophet NEW order OLD insanity
Amazon
Me Here Without You Now
A love story AFTER
the love story
Amazon/Apple
A Rage To Live
A true boys' coming of age
story set during the Holocaust
Amazon
Misty Black Media, LLC
Get your picture book designed
& formatted by a professional
www.mistyblackauthor.com
CHARLES DARWIN...
An entertaining learning
resource for curious kids.
www.alanhesse.com
Clifftop Farm in Wartime
A story of WW2
evacuated children
Amazon
Memoir of Millennial Caregiver
A story of caregiving, loss,
and acceptance of the unknown.
Amazon
Esme and Griswald
A WITCH in search of a
POTION to save her PRINCE
Amazon
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon