Winners 2025
Below is a list of the 2025 WINNERS 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.
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
- Category 12: Adult/Children's Poetry
- Short Story - Novelette
If you happen to be looking for a good read, the readers at The Wishing Shelf Awards thoroughly recommend the following:
Bronze
Monkey See, Monkey Do. Monkey Can Do It, Can You?
Author: Harriet Cobb
Illustrator: Patrizia Donaera
Gold
The Adventures of Mrs. Crockess and Ivy: No Pockets? No Problem!
Author: Julia Kolouch
Illustrator: Petros Bouloubasis
Bronze
Watching Sarah Rise: a Journey of Thriving with Autism
Author: Jennifer Celeste Briggs
Performed by:
Gold
The Horned Women by Christy Matheson
Silver
Commanding the Cleanest Space Station by Jessica Kaye
Bronze
The King, Lady Killer and the Virgin by Mark Sheehan
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I Never Said I Love You
A story of travel, friendship,
forgiveness, & roads not taken
Amazon
THE PEBBLE CHAMPION
A stirring tale
of sadness and self-discovery.
Amazon
The Mystery of the Lost Avenge
Multilevel story/ghost/romance
forensics/WWII/espionage
Linda Maria Frank
THE DARKWOLF SAGA (YA)
Embark on a harrowing journey
into fantasy and adventure.
Amazon
The Other Side of Nowhere
A fast-paced page turner
southern gothic horror
by Jack Holt
The Coach Trip
A light- hearted,
mid-life, comedy romance.
by Morag Clarke
Escape From Peconic Bay
A fast-paced, historical novel
set during the run up to WW2
books2read
The Monarchs
"A thought-provoking spiritual
quest" - Kirkus Reviews
Amazon
Moonshot - Rocket Dreams
Great for YA who dream
of rockets and space!
Amazon
GOING TO MEET DAD
A playful and sensitive tale
about braving the unknown
by Kathleen Nord Heinz
A Portion of Malice
A thought-provoking thrill
ride into the apocalypse
Amazon
SIN EATER
A girl with the power to
erase ANY bad memory!
Amazon
WAYS TO BE EQUALLY HUMAN
A deep dive into being non-
binary,climate activism & love
by Leslie Tate
THE JEWEL OF WENZLO
An epic conflict
between rodent kings
Amazon
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
THE UNBROKEN
Love and adventure in
the strange worlds of mind.
Nigel Peace
THE FISH TANK - short stories
NARRATIVES ABOUT LIFE, EXILE,
GHOSTS…AND MURDER.
books2read
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
1066 WHAT FATES IMPOSE
An epic struggle for
the English Crown
by G. K. Holloway
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
MY SHADOW
A storybook for children
of parents with epilepsy
lulu.com
A Good Day and Other...
A wide-ranging collection
of imaginative, funny stories.
Amazon
A Mixing Colour Adventure
Colour mixing, teamwork &
perseverance for 3 - 7 yr olds
Amazon
The Great Migration
Survive valley. Stop outbreak.
Or watch the kingdom burn.
Amazon
MADRA RISING
Dragon YA Fantasy
written by teens for teens
Amazon
MOTHER TO ELEPHANTS
A heartwarming, inspiring kids
picture book biography
THE STORY OF DAPHNE SHELDRICK
DRAGONDAH (9 - 12 year olds)
Solving ancient mysteries and
outwitting scheming villains!
Amazon
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
THE GREAT MOSQUITO HUNT
Hunting the world for
the causes of disease
Amazon