
Finalists 2022
Below is a list of the 2022 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, 2023.
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:

Benny the Brave in The First Day Jitters
Author: Julie Anne Penn and Darren Penn
Illustrator: Sergio De Giorgi

The Dragon and the Unicorn: The Magic of Friendship,
Author: Charly Froh
Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova

Novo, The Space Robot, How to Solve the Mystery of Crying
Author: Charly Froh
Illustrator: Zuzanna Svobodova

Super Kena - A Girl Made Fierce with Hearing Aids
Author: Becky Cymbaluk
Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova
A Red Ribbon is awarded to a book that did NOT get over 25/35 to be a finalist, but was still very much enjoyed by the readers.
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Nantucket Monsters
Island monsters on the sly,
live in the corner your eye
B. LAWSON HULL
BUILDING THE BEAST
Building a home-on-wheels
with zero blueprint.
Amazon
Of the Noble and Great Ones
Real fiction about an autistic
teen who figures out life
Amazon
A Bloody Hot Summer
Bloody murders occur in 1920s
England during a heatwave
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
The Book of Wisdom-ish
Adventure begins with
a book. And an A.
Amazon
Memoir of Millennial Caregiver
A story of caregiving, loss,
and acceptance of the unknown.
Amazon
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
THE WAY OF WATER
Brilliant YA Fantasy with
Magic, Mystery & Romance
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
Girl & the Lock on Her Heart
An empowering book to
ignite everyone’s self love.
Amazon
Me and My Shadow
Honest reflection how cancer
took a boy to death’s door.
Amazon
Moving Men by Karene Horst
A modern novel, relationships
% the scars they leave behind
Flying Trees Publishing
SeaMouse Builds a Boat
Mouse must find EVERYTHING he
needs to BUILD his boat.
Amazon
Growing up Hadley
A story to shatter your heart
then mend it anew.
danawritesbooks
Then We'll Say Goodnight
How would you get your
unruly puppies back to bed?
Amazon
THE LIGHTNESS OF WATER
"A refined fantasy adventure”
- Silver Medal, TWSA
books2read.com
Captain Polo Saving the Planet
"Eco-adventure comics
for middle graders"
www.alanhesse.com
The Accidental Boyfriend
Slightly steamy, fake dating,
celebrity young adult romcom
lorifreeland
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
Millie’s Magic
The little mouse
with a big heart.
Amazon
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
THE PEBBLE CHAMPION
A stirring tale
of sadness and self-discovery.
Amazon
SKY ICE
Demon hunters. Slow-burn
romance. Hidden world.
Amazon
The Last Lumenian
Most princesses need saving.
This one saves you.
Amazon
Your Perfect Freelancer HERE!
Illustrators, Writers, Blurbs,
Editors, Layout Designs
Metaworx
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
An Enemy Like Me
A story not only of war but of
love & what we will do for it.
Amazon
A Trip From God, Book 1
NEW gods NEW religion NEW
prophet NEW order OLD insanity
Amazon
Winkle and Aster
Urban fantasy that takes
imagination to its limits
books2read
SECRET SKY
Everybody wishes they could
fly - until it happens
books2read.com
Children of the Knight
When the children rise,
will the city fall?
Amazon
Harvey's Hutch
A man, nearly seventy,
looks back on his life.
Amazon
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
Sophia and Sinclair Get Lost!
A rabbit and a turtle get
lost in a hay maze!
Amazon
The Antunite Chronicles
An allegory for our time,
a thrillogy for all ages.
Amazon
Hieroglyph
A fantastical mix of history &
fantasy. GOLD medal winner!
Amazon
Lucy Wants To go To School
Perfect for apprehensive
children starting school
Amazon
Beyond the Brink
Teleportation is just the
beginning...
Amazon
Adventures of Negassi Brothers
Exciting children's adventure
into African history
Amazon
The Boy and the Jaguar
A magical Mayan tale
for middle-grade readers.
Amazon
NEW TRAILS
One step changed his world.
One man changed his heart.
Amazon
Pure Ink Press
Quality partnership publisher
open for submissions
Pure Ink Press
Finding Karen Black
The heartwarming mother-
daughter reunion story
Amazon
Social Media & Mental Health
‘’Empower your child to be
safe in the digital world’’
Amazon
A Tree in Time
A fabilious journey into
the distant past.
gentlpresspublishing.co.uk
Sibby's Secret
Heart-stopping adventure
for our detective Buccaneers
Amazon
Dinosaur Symphony
A Guide to Dinosaurs
and Classical Music
Amazon
Ian's Realm Saga
A 7 book adventure fantasy
series for the family.
gardnersart.com
The Monarchs
"A thought-provoking spiritual
quest" - Kirkus Reviews
Amazon
Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam …his humanity."
Amazon
The Eye of Nineveh (thriller)
They found a gem powered by
the gods. Now, it´s vanished.
Amazon
Crowded platforms Window Seats
One family's adventures
around Europe by train.
Amazon
Chains of Prophecy
A man finds he is the chosen
sorcerer of Heaven.
Amazon
Pebbles and the Biggest Number
A butterfly’s quest to
find the largest number
Amazon
Battle for Eklatros
Can Ànifa’s party save
Eklatros from the invasion?
Amazon
Then We'll Say Goodnight
How would you get your
unruly puppies back to bed?
Amazon
GOING UNDER THE RADAR
Honest, insightful, battling
autism/mental health - TWSA
Amazon