Finalists 2025
Below is a list of the 2025 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, 2026.
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
- Adult/Children's Poetry
If you happen to be looking for a good read, the readers at The Wishing Shelf Awards thoroughly recommend the following:
Excuse Me: Dyslexic Inclusive (Life's Little Lessons From The Countryside Companions)
Author: Diane Hull
Cover Designer: Jeannie Duncanson
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LIKE A HERO
Being a superhero WITHOUT
powers is never easy!
books2read
The Pivotal Pastor
A pastor and famous
architect transform a parish
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
The Girl Who Looked Beyond...
13 yrs old. How can she have
a destiny to save the world?
Amazon
The Last Spiritwalker
Blood, magic, myths &
a badass female lead
Amazon
The Princess and the Spy
A witty and heartfelt
YA fantasy mystery
Amazon
Little Puppy's Great Adventure
Adorable story. Great for
both parents as well as kids.
Amazon
Marco & Me
Stories & photos of the
adventures of a real dog
Amazon
Secrets of The Sealed Forest
Magic awakens in this
modern fantasy adventure.
Amazon
DRAGONDAH
The Secret Legacy
of Ottillee Bottomly
Amazon
THE SOCIETY
Elizabeth Grant Thriller-woman
embroiled in a conspiracy
Amazon
Irish Famine Novel
My novel Hungry Trails
celebrates family resilience
Amazon
There's a Duck in the House
TWSA FINALIST 2023
Large Format with Large Text
Amazon
A Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams
13 creepy award-winning
stories for a cold, dark night
Amazon
Jack's 1st Birthday Adventure
Journey to Jingle Jangle:
A fun story with activities!
Amazon
Inspirational Mindset Journey
This book, therapy by power of
fiction, can alter your life.
Amazon
Touch of the Whimsy
Witty fantasy, this Castaway
romance is an enigma!
Amazon
Marlon and the Scary Something
Scaredy cat finds courage,
foils fear, wins friend
Amazon
My Solo Wedding in Santorini
A true story. Honest,
thought-provoking & funny .
blogaboutl
THE DARK PLACES NOVELS
Paranormal thrillers to
get your pulse racing
kimgravell.com
Selfish Shellfish & Sick Sea
An environmental gem for the
age. Get your copy at:
theprolificword.com
CHARCOAL BOY
Tudor London, boy, entangled
in politics, wins through
Amazon
Children of the Knight
When the children rise,
will the city fall?
Amazon
The Accidental Boyfriend
Slightly steamy, fake dating,
celebrity young adult romcom
lorifreeland
TWO LEFT WINGS - Safety Averse
4 kids - heart-warming / funny
friendship and self-growth
Amazon
Girl & the Lock on Her Heart
An empowering book to
ignite everyone’s self love.
Amazon
The Last Lumenian
Most princesses need saving.
This one saves you.
Amazon
Portraits of a Pandemic
The story of how a microscopic
virus changed our lives.
Amazon
LOOK AWAY NO MORE
A story rich in history & love
at a Georgia college in 1970.
Amazon
Finding Karen Black
The heartwarming mother-
daughter reunion story
Amazon
TREACHERY!
A WW2 child
evacuee thriller
Amazon
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
A HARD SILENCE
Grief, love, and learning to
speak the unspeakable
www.vineleavespress.com
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
Soar: A Soul's Quest
A young eagle on a quest of
self-discovery & enlightenment
Amazon
Meet the Snozzeralls
Fun & Educational
Kids Picture Book
Amazon
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
Into The Shadows
Journey from naïve university
student to a great spy.
marinemoments.uk
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
Don't Look Too Tasty
Hungry aliens, missing
friends. Who can you trust?
Amazon
BROKEN
A victim to survivor love
story with a twist.
Amazon
Plague of Flies
A young Latina fights to save
her people and land.
Amazon
THE SAD PRINCESS
Refinding joy with our
children is not a fairy tale
Amazon
Discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer
The ‘Witch of Edmonton’
overturns Jacobean London
www.jonathanvischer.com
Confidently Mindful
Answers to your most asked
mindfulness questions.
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
Anna and the Adders
A rhyming counting book
to get little ones learning
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
The Boy and the Jaguar
A magical Mayan tale
for middle-grade readers.
Amazon
ARNI'S ADVENTURES
8 charming, silly, comic
stories to laugh at & enjoy.
Amazon
The Nephilem
A Sun-soaked setting
with a difference.
www.exquil.com
You're Gone
Meet Arthur: Widower, Son,
Brother, Friend, Murderer.
Amazon
SIN EATER
A girl with the power to
erase ANY bad memory!
Amazon
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
HENRY
Inspiring WWII Nonfiction
survival account
Amazon
The Eye of Nineveh (thriller)
They found a gem powered by
the gods. Now, it´s vanished.
Amazon
The Broken Wife
A gripping tale of love,
loss, and BETRAYAL.
Amazon
MEMOIR OF A MANGLED MIND
Three minds. One body.
And nobody is safe.
Amazon