
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
Sponsored Ads
Secrets of The Sealed Forest
Magic awakens in this
modern fantasy adventure.
Amazon
Perfect Middle Grade Series
Montana and her friends
save the forest animals!
Amazon
DON'T DOUBT THE RAINBOW series
Crime-busting teen
detective adventures!
www.crownhouse.co.uk
DEAR JAMES
I know it's been 20 years, but
I needed to tell you I'm sorry
Amazon
HUNGRY TRAILS
‘A…culturally rich family
chronicle.’ Kirkus Review
Amazon
Wartime Secrets, Family Lies
London to life in Washington
in a family of secrets
Amazon
Children of the Knight
When the children rise,
will the city fall?
Amazon
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
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
Ships in the Desert
Timely, illuminating, and wise
—Julian Hoffman
Amazon
HEALER'S BLADE
Can a young woman change
the fate of England?
StoryOrigin
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
Memoir of Millennial Caregiver
A story of caregiving, loss,
and acceptance of the unknown.
Amazon
The Broken Wife
A gripping tale of love,
loss, and BETRAYAL.
Amazon
I FEEL YOUR STARE
An Autobiography by Cheryl
Gillespie - Book Award Winner!
Amazon
IT'S OKAY NOT TO BE FABULOUS
A guide to finding self-love
and achieving your destiny💙
Amazon
Momma Llama World
Free coloring sheets,
animated stories & more.
Meet Momma Llama
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows, & humans
dying at Moonshine Mesa?
Amazon
I’m Going to Have a Sister
For new siblings teaching
patience & understanding
thegreatbritishbookshop
HENRY
Inspiring WWII Nonfiction
survival account
Amazon
Writing in a Nutshell
Writing Workshops to
Improve Your Craft
Amazon
Sibby's Secret
Heart-stopping adventure
for our detective Buccaneers
Amazon
A Trip From God, Book 1
NEW gods NEW religion NEW
prophet NEW order OLD insanity
Amazon
Your Perfect Freelancer HERE!
Illustrators, Writers, Blurbs,
Editors, Layout Designs
Metaworx
Comfort in the Wings
An inspiring, heartfelt
journey of joy after loss
Amazon
THE SELFISH SHELLFISH & THE
SICK SEA an environmental gem
for the age. GET A COPY AT:
theprolificword.com
DANCE STANCE
"Highly recommended! A truly
excellent book" Wishing Shelf
bookshop.org
MEMOIR OF A MANGLED MIND
Steve's 2 other personalities
wreak havoc all around him
Amazon
Alphamind
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
More Future Dreams/Nightmares
Award-winning SF short
stories of AIs and robots.
Donald Firesmith
DRAGONDAH (9 - 12 year olds)
Solving ancient mysteries and
outwitting scheming villains!
Amazon
Winds of Discontent
Gun running, investigative
reporter and Yvonne
Amazon
THE WAY OF WATER
Brilliant YA Fantasy with
Magic, Mystery & Romance
Amazon
Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Children's mental health story
It's ok NOT to be ok
Amazon
Chains of Prophecy
A man finds he is the chosen
sorcerer of Heaven.
Amazon
CREATIVE NONFICTION CONTEST
$1000 prize & publication.
Open internationally.
VINE LEAVES PRESS
The Ghosts of Nothing
The town of Nothing is haunted
...and fairies are to blame.
Amazon
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
Arni's Adventures
Pet dinosaur, bear, cat story
for the young reader.
Ashok
BEHIND THE PICKLE JAR
A fun, relatable,
emotionally powerful read!
Amazon
Sneaky Snobby by Jennifer Kvam
LOOK OUT! Making trouble is
Sneaky Snobby´s hobby!
Amazon
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
The Boy and the Jaguar
A magical Mayan tale
for middle-grade readers.
Amazon
Millie’s Magic
The little mouse
with a big heart.
Amazon
Harvey's Hutch
A man, nearly seventy,
looks back on his life.
Amazon
EVERKNIGHT
A Heroic Journey of
Uncompromising Honor
Amazon
CALM POND
TOP 10 BOOK - 9 short stories
for 5 - 9 year olds
Amazon
You're Gone
Meet Arthur: Widower, Son,
Brother, Friend, Murderer.
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
Me and My Shadow
Honest reflection how cancer
took a boy to death’s door.
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
A woman’s inspiring quest for
comfort and joy after grief
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
Winkle and Aster
Urban fantasy that takes
imagination to its limits
books2read
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
A HARD SILENCE
Grief, love, and learning to
speak the unspeakable
www.vineleavespress.com