Finalists 2023
Below is a list of the 2023 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, 2024.
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:
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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Nemesis Rising
"Survival comes with a cost
for Sam … his humanity."
Amazon
PLAYING SOLDIER
An unflinching tale of
nourishing self-acceptance.
Amazon
The Pivotal Pastor
A pastor and famous
architect transform a parish
Amazon
MATTER PRESS
Compressed fiction
with a bang
Matter Press
Wild Atlantic Way Anthology
Characters along Ireland’s
Majestic Coast
Amazon
Millie’s Magic
The little mouse
with a big heart.
Amazon
B.A. Bellec
2 x Wishing Shelf
Award Recipient
Amazon
Soar: A Soul's Quest
A young eagle on a quest of
self-discovery & enlightenment
Amazon
HUNGRY TRAILS
‘A…culturally rich family
chronicle.’ Kirkus Review
Amazon
LADY REAPER
Disorderly ghosts. Dejected
fays. Dreadful elves.
books2read.com
Meet the Snozzeralls
Fun & Educational
Kids Picture Book
Amazon
Changing Tide
A Thrilling First
Contact Novel
www.cougarproductions.com
No Death in Finding Nemo
Stories of mundane lives which
change in surprising ways
www.jeffreyfeingold.com
Hieroglyph
A fantastical mix of history &
fantasy. GOLD medal winner!
Amazon
You're Gone
Meet Arthur: Widower, Son,
Brother, Friend, Murderer.
Amazon
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
A Vampire's Tooth Fairy Chase
A vampire with flat teeth
searches for the Tooth Fairy.
Amazon
The Campbell Sisters
3 sisters work towards very
different goals in 1955 NYC
Amazon
Oscar and Friends...
will help you along, sharing
a world where everyone belongs
mollyarbuthnott
Music from a Strange Planet
Stories: An intense, inventive
deep-dive into interior worlds
Goodreads
2024... Your Year of More
is a meaningful self-help
book for wise readers.
Amazon
BEHIND THE PICKLE JAR
A fun, relatable,
emotionally powerful read!
Amazon
Captain Polo Saving the Planet
"Eco-adventure comics
for middle graders"
www.alanhesse.com
FIGHT
Thought-provoking poems encou-
raging us to fight for justice
YouTube
For Evil Done & Evil Suffered
Gripping murder mystery; tease
the brain & stir the senses.
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
Tuskie’s Travels
Tuskie teaches his crew to
dissolve upsets in 30 seconds!
www.thekidcode.ca
Isobel Kent: Editor
Are you ready to take
your book to school?
IsobelKentProofreader.co.uk
Secrets of The Sealed Forest
Magic awakens in this
modern fantasy adventure.
Amazon
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com
Beyond the Brink
Teleportation is just the
beginning...
Amazon
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
Ian's Realm Saga
A 7 book adventure fantasy
series for the family.
gardnersart.com
SeaMouse Builds a Boat
Mouse must find EVERYTHING he
needs to BUILD his boat.
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
The Open Book
A family memoir of adventure,
trauma, & resilience
Amazon
Winkle and Aster
Urban fantasy that takes
imagination to its limits
books2read
An Enemy Like Me
What would you do for love?
3 POV WWII HistFic Saga
www.terimbrown.com
Seeking Shelter
Memoir of a Jewish Girlhood
in Wartime Britain
Amazon
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
100% SUCCESS MINDSET
Achieve your goals and
improve personal development
Amazon
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
Thar She Blows
Brian got swallowed by
a whale. Mom’ll be mad.
www.books2read.com
THE IMPROBABLE WONDERS OF
MOOJIE LITTLEMAN "Visionary,
magical, rich" -MC WEEKLY
Amazon
Love in Another Time
Is love stronger than the
secret of two women?
Amazon
Ghoul of Sherwood
Robin Hood and his men solve
a grisly murder near a nunnery
Amazon
Marlon and the Scary Something
Scaredy cat finds courage,
foils fear, wins friend
Amazon
Putney Hicks Inventor
Can Putney Hicks engineer
a way out of trouble?
Amazon
Arni's Adventures
Pet dinosaur, bear, cat story
for the young reader.
Ashok
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
Exclusion Zone
The VORKOSIGAN SAGA
meets DIE HARD.
Amazon
The Girl Who Looked Beyond...
13 yrs old. How can she have
a destiny to save the world?
Amazon
DON'T DOUBT THE RAINBOW series
Crime-busting teen
detective adventures!
www.crownhouse.co.uk
Arctic Dinosaurs
Her first Arctic year -
middle grade - free activities
Fathom Publishing
Writing in a Nutshell
Writing Workshops to
Improve Your Craft
Amazon
Winds of Discontent
Gun running, investigative
reporter and Yvonne
Amazon
Ruby the Emotional Stingray
Handling emotions for kids.
BEDTIME STORY
Amazon
Moving Men by Karene Horst
A modern novel, relationships
% the scars they leave behind
Flying Trees Publishing
Tuskie’s Travels
Tuskie teaches his crew to
dissolve upsets in 30 seconds!
www.thekidcode.ca