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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Mirrors & Smoke: A War of 1812
'A smartly plotted, character
novel set in 1800s Canada' WSA
Amazon/Audible
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Amazon
Lucy Wants To go To School
Perfect for apprehensive
children starting school
Amazon
Chronicles of MatiLou/PerryAnn
Through it all the girls work
to save Mother Earth.
Amazon
CHARCOAL BOY
Tudor London, boy, entangled
in politics, wins through
Amazon
Law of Attraction Game Book
A playful 28-day guide
to joy, clarity, and ease!!
Amazon
Wartime Secrets, Family Lies
London to life in Washington
in a family of secrets
Amazon
THE DARK PLACES NOVELS
Paranormal thrillers to
get your pulse racing
kimgravell.com
Hecatomb of the Vampire
5 horror tales link in book 1
of The Dark Rituals Saga
Amazon
Connecting Threads
A graphic memoir of
resilience and hope
Amazon
Publishing Questions?
Find easy to understand
answers, top tips & more.
oldmatemedia
NEW TRAILS
A queer portal fantasy of
magic, courage, and home
books2read
SIN EATER
A girl with the power to
erase ANY bad memory!
Amazon
GOING TO MEET DAD
A playful and sensitive tale
about braving the unknown
by Kathleen Nord Heinz
KEEPERS OF THE ROCK
THE DEBILIS RISING-YA Fantasy
Seize the rock. Rule the world
Amazon
LEGACY
A character-driven sci-fi/
fantasy with a twisting plot.
Amazon
ULTIMATE OBSESSION
A cracking murder/mystery
packed with twists and turns.
Dai Henley
Smurgle The Windy Dragon
By Jane Clack, ill. by Lucy
Nicholson. A FUN PICTURE BOOK!
Amazon
The Other Lotus Girl
He was buying tea.
She was running for her life.
danielariddle.com
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
Clifftop Farm in Wartime
A story of WW2
evacuated children
Amazon
REVOLUTION: A NOVEL
Comical misadventures in
modern Los Angeles
Amazon
THOSE DARN STRIPES
A genuine read opening the
doors on love, life, & meaning
Amazon
DRAGONDAH
The Secret Legacy
of Ottillee Bottomly
Amazon
SIR BARKINGTON AND THE WORRY
WOOF - Helping little worriers
feel calmer every day
by Janine Marsh
LADY IN RED
Teen sleuths search for
a missing masterpiece.
Amazon
Churchill’s Secret Army
WW2 courage and sacrifice
in the undercover SOE
www.cloudshillpress.com
Soar: A Soul's Quest
A young eagle on a quest of
self-discovery & enlightenment
Amazon
Rider of the Wind
An exultant celebration
of the magic of music
Amazon
The Boy from the Night Sky
Thrilling fantasy adventure
for all ages.
Amazon
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows, & humans
dying at Moonshine Mesa?
Amazon
Half a Faerie
A disgraced rockstar falls for
a half-faerie single mom.
by Toni Cabell
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
Esme and Griswald
A WITCH in search of a
POTION to save her PRINCE
Amazon
Alphamind
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com
Around the Globe
The Adventures of Squishy
and Boo, Book 3
Amazon
Don't Look Too Tasty
Hungry aliens, missing
friends. Who can you trust?
Amazon
MERCY'S VIEW: BLACKOUT
Memoir - A runaway's reckless
re-entry into society
Amazon
The Gemini Connection
An intriguing thriller that
will keep you hooked.
Amazon
TALE OF THE ENGLISH TEMPLAR
Resistance to tyranny starts
with an act of compassion
by Helena P Schrader
Growing up Hadley
A story to shatter your heart
then mend it anew.
danawritesbooks
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
Escape From Peconic Bay
A novel of love, impending
war, and espionage.
books2read
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Pelham
Demons to Champions
A tale of neurodivergent
awakening and triumph.
Amazon
BUILDING THE BEAST
Building a home-on-wheels
with zero blueprint.
Amazon
The Halloween Candy MONSTER
Jimmy teaches the Halloween
candy monster a lesson
Amazon
Down to Earth
A practical guide to using
intuition for smarter living.
Amazon
The Crooked Ladder
It's time to climb...
or die
Amazon
Jack's 1st Birthday Adventure
Journey to Jingle Jangle:
A fun story with activities!
Amazon
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
No Free Speech for Hate
Provocative, chilling, topical
and razor-sharp dystopia
by Stephen Ford
Glitching Souls
Award-winning, Mind-bending,
Technothriller
Amazon
INTO THE BLAZE
A new trilogy where fantasy,
myth, and reality entwine
Amazon
The War Ongoing: Knightfall
Knights embark on adventure
where sci-fi & fantasy collide
Amazon
THE DARK PLACES NOVELS
Paranormal thrillers to
get your pulse racing
kimgravell.com
SOUTH KOREA
A nuanced & engaging analysis
of Korea's rise to prominence.
Amazon
GOING TO MEET DAD
A playful and sensitive tale
about braving the unknown
by Kathleen Nord Heinz

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































