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.
Sponsored Ads
SIR BARKINGTON AND THE WORRY
WOOF - Helping little worriers
feel calmer every day
by Janine Marsh
THE GRAVITY OF LIES
WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE
WAS BASED ON LIES?
Amazon
Cinderella, A Love Story
An award winning cozy middle
grade faerie tale retelling.
Amazon
MILLIE'S RAINBOW
Beautiful picture book.
Kindness and rainbows.
by Hilary Hawkes
POLE TO POLE (Book 4)
A fast-paced MG graphic
novel on climate change
The Adventures of Captain Polo
WELCOME TO OPINE
Homo Sapiens 2.0: Will genetic
blessing be their undoing?
Amazon
Mirrors & Smoke: A War of 1812
'A smartly plotted, character
novel set in 1800s Canada' WSA
Amazon/Audible
Drop the Fake Smile
How to stop people-
pleasing in relationships
Amazon
DIVERSIONS DARCY & ELIZABETH
2 sweet Pride & Prejudice
romances with fun banter!
Amazon
PRESCHOOL MATH WORKBOOK
Large print, count, trace, add
subtract & more, ages 3-5
LEARN NUMBERS 0-10
REVOLUTION
A contemporary
satirical novel
Amazon
The Scrivener's Apprentice
Words have power.
Especially hers.
Amazon
THEY'RE ALL BARKING
Discover how your lifestyle
and emotions affect your dog
Amazon
IF I COULD REMEMBER
A tender, unflinching memoir
on Alzheimer's caregiving
by Donna Costa
From The Back of a Donkey
Multi-award winning. A
captivating look at Christmas.
by Nancy Elaine Hartman Minor
MY SHADOW
A storybook for children
of parents with epilepsy
lulu.com
A Portion of Malice
A thought-provoking thrill
ride into the apocalypse
Amazon
Terracolina: A Place to Belong
Adventure for 9–13 yr olds
with twists, turns & suspense.
Amazon
A QUEST FOR HIDDEN THINGS
A cozy, coming-of-age
fantasy adventure
by Karen Eisenbrey
SNOTASAURUS REX!
A hilarious, sneezy
dinosaur adventure for kids!
by Stuart Reid
A Good Day and Other...
A wide-ranging collection
of imaginative, funny stories.
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Your Perfect Freelancer HERE!
Illustrators, Writers, Blurbs,
Editors, Layout Designs
Metaworx
THE MERMELF
Mystery girl. Mermelves arrive
Dystopian rebellion begins
Amazon
LEGACY
A character-driven sci-fi/
fantasy with a twisting plot.
Amazon
No Free Speech for Hate
Provocative, chilling, topical
and razor-sharp dystopia
by Stephen Ford
CAME A GENTLE WHISPER
A bittersweet, richly
layered historical romance.
by Rebecca A. Cathey
If Roses Were Blue
A stolen dog, lady of
light, 3 rescues—Inspiring!
Amazon
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
QUACK ALONG WITH ZACK, MACK, A
AND JACK - 3 adventurous ducks
learn to share
A FUN PICTURE BOOK
Alphamind
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
Gigglet Goes to School
Get your giggle on with
Gigglet. Perfect for 0 - 6 yrs
AMB Kids Books
SECRET SKY
Everybody wishes they could
fly - until it happens
books2read.com
Arctic Dinosaurs
Her first Arctic year -
middle grade - free activities
Fathom Publishing
CHARCOAL BOY
Tudor London, boy, entangled
in politics, wins through
Amazon
A Lion's Head
Myth brought to life.
A fantasy novel for YA.
by D.M. De Alwis
TAILS
A magical story children will
love; and probably adults too.
by WJ Scott
The Faraway Mountains
A memorable novel about
growing up under dictatorship
Amazon
AT WARBLE'S BAR
Pregnant Lucy searches for the
father...ADULT FICTION
by Galahad Porter
NEW TRAILS
A queer portal fantasy of
magic, courage, and home
books2read
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com
LoveVortex ... Drakor's Curse
A voyage into the unknown -
and a terrible curse.
Amazon
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
Burt: The Airport Cat
Heartwarming cat adventure
about friendship!
by Christine Henry
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
Soar: A Soul's Quest
A young eagle on a quest of
self-discovery & enlightenment
Amazon
The Cup of Christ Trilogy
Epic mystical thriller across
centuries! A must!!!
by Jack Holt
Law of Attraction Game Book
A playful 28-day guide
to joy, clarity, and ease!!
Amazon
One Year, One Night, 2nd Ed.
A beautiful story set in an
English village during WWII.
Amazon
THE PHILOSOPHER & THE ASSASSIN
campus novel, moral
philosophy, and murder mystery
Amazon
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
Think Like the D squad
Four dogs. One mystery.
Think like a detective.
by Phil Weiss
The Bride's Trunk
A gripping true story of
Anglo-German reconciliation
Amazon
THE MUTT FOR ME
Heartwarming memoir of
healing & second chances
by Don Hughes
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows &
humans dying at the Mesa?
Amazon
TALE OF THE ENGLISH TEMPLAR
Resistance to tyranny starts
with an act of compassion
by Helena P Schrader
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon




































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































