Finalists 2024
Below is a list of the 2024 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, 2025.
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.

Red Ribbon
'They're All Barking,' A Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour
Author: Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel

Red Ribbon
Sweet Peas and Bees: Life at the Flower Farm
Author: Mary Murphy
Illustrator: Fiona Van Housen

Red Ribbon
Wanderer's Journey: A Refugee's Search for a Home in the Beautiful Game Author
Author: Vedran Dedic
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Playing Soldier
A savagely haunting true
journey of self-discovery.
F. Scott Service
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
The Graffiti Killer
A mind unhinged on
the fulcrum of our age.
by David Milnes
CHARLES DARWIN...
An entertaining learning
resource for curious kids.
www.alanhesse.com
Battle for Eklatros
Can Ànifa’s party save
Eklatros from the invasion?
Amazon
The Boy from the Night Sky
Thrilling fantasy adventure
for all ages.
Amazon
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
Me Here Without You Now
A love story AFTER
the love story
Amazon/Apple
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
Me and My Shadow
Honest reflection how cancer
took a boy to death’s door.
Amazon
Look 'N Up Invasion
A clever mix of fantasy,
family drama & cultural debate
Goodreads
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Naked in the Now
What if presence felt like
being seduced by life?
Amazon
Day & Night
A behind the scenes tour
and evening immersion!
Amazon
THE COIN
CAN FINDING A COIN
GET YOU KILLED?
books2read
Sam & Me & the Hard Pear Tree
A personal account of
a mother’s ultimate loss
Amazon
LADY IN RED
Teen sleuths search for
a missing masterpiece.
Amazon
Alphamind
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
THEY'RE ALL BARKING
Springer Spaniel's eye-opening
view of human behaviour
Amazon
Ian's Realm Saga
A 7 book adventure fantasy
series for the family.
gardnersart.com
Don't Look Too Tasty
Hungry aliens, missing
friends. Who can you trust?
Amazon
TREACHERY!
A WW2 child
evacuee thriller
Amazon
If Roses Were Blue
A stolen dog, lady of
light, 3 rescues—Inspiring!
Amazon
Marvelous Mood-Mending Meadow
Picture Book About Gratitude &
Dealing with Kids Emotions
Amazon
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
Sea Change by Nick Bamford
'A gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea'
nickbamford.com
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Woster
Epistolary
Mandy writes about her
life until tragedy strikes.
Amazon
Pure Ink Press
Quality partnership publisher
open for submissions
Pure Ink Press
From The Back of a Donkey
Multi-award winning. A
captivating look at Christmas.
by Nancy Elaine Hartman Minor
LIKE A HERO
Being a superhero WITHOUT
powers is never easy!
books2read
The Last Professional
A hobo, a wanderer, a madman-
their lives are on the line!
www.eddavisbooks.com
The Day After His Crucifixion
At last the women speak,
deepening Yeshua's story.
Amazon
THE NIGHT SLAYER
Perfect for PERCY JACKSON fans
'Thrill-a-page, fantasy' TWSA
Amazon
Children of the Realm
Girl finds mythical origins
in YA urban fantasy
Amazon
RIVER WITCH
A haunting, emotional tale
of magic and purpose.
Amazon
50 SECRETS NOBODY TELLS YOU IN
IN HOLLYWOOD Helping actors
avoid pitfalls & find success
Amazon
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
Beyond the Brink
Teleportation is just the
beginning...
Amazon
WELCOME TO OPINE
Homo Sapiens 2.0: Will genetic
blessing be their undoing?
Amazon
DOWN TO EARTH
Master the art of combining
logic with intuition
Amazon
ULTIMATE OBSESSION
A cracking murder/mystery
packed with twists and turns.
Dai Henley
Confidently Mindful
Answers to your most asked
mindfulness questions.
Amazon
Love in the Cupboard
A sweet, clean Catholic Priest
seeks a wife rom-com
Amazon
Into The Shadows
Journey from naïve university
student to a great spy.
marinemoments.uk
Touch of the Whimsy
Witty fantasy, this Castaway
romance is an enigma!
Amazon
THE IMPROBABLE WONDERS OF
MOOJIE LITTLEMAN "Visionary,
magical, rich" -MC WEEKLY
Amazon
THE UNBROKEN
Love and adventure in
the strange worlds of mind.
Nigel Peace
WAYS TO BE EQUALLY HUMAN
A deep dive into being non-
binary,climate activism & love
by Leslie Tate
The Pathology of Graphology
Two citizens of the lower
depths kill an aging DJ.
by David Milnes
A Lion's Head
Myth brought to life.
A fantasy novel for YA.
by D.M. De Alwis
Glitching Souls
Award-winning, Mind-bending,
Technothriller
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
Marco & Me
Stories & photos of the
adventures of a real dog
Amazon
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































