
Finalists 2021
Below is a list of the 2021 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, 2022.
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:

Nurse Bear Does First Aid: Picture Book to Learn First Aid Skills for Toddlers and Kids
Author: Marta Almansa Esteva

Olive the Worrying Wiener: A Short Tale about a Particularly Long Dog
Author: Ally Arena
Illustrator: Rafaela Sukiyama

Monster in the Water: Fighting Back Against Harmful Algal Blooms
Author: Dylan Dagate
Illustrator: Maria Decerce

Sticky Icky Vicky: Courage over Fear
Author: Alysia Ssentamu, Michael Ssentamu
Illustrator: Noor Alshalabi

Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results: How an Explorer, an Engineer and a Statesman shaped our Modern World
Author: Brad Borkan and David Hirzel

Black, White, And Gray All Over; A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement
Author: Frederick Reynolds

Just Say "$%#&! NO!†Book Dedicated to the Well-Intended Overextended!
Author: Heather Tobin
Illustrator: Karen Tobin

Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander to Hitler to the Corporation
Author: Joseph N Abraham MD

Grandpa Jock and the Incredible Iron-Bru-Man Incident: Gorgeous George
Author: Stuart Reid
Performed by: Stuart Reid

Fries & Alibis: Paranormal Cozy Mystery: Mitzy Moon Mysteries Series, Book 1
Author: Trixie Silvertale
Performed by: Coleen Marlo

Systemology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems
Author: David Jenyns

The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People
Author: Deborah Stone
Performed by: Maggie Ollerenshaw

Little Wade and Watchtower: Abigail and the Great Gang Trap
Author: Sean March
Cover Designer: Joe Ruiz

Rory, Quest for the Northern Lights
Author: Sarah Cullen, Carmen Ellis
Cover Designer: Zuzana Svobodova

The Young Adult’s Collection of Short Scary Stories
Author: Michael Ross
Cover Designer: Magdalena Adić
A Red Ribbon is awarded to a book that did NOT get over 30/40 to be a finalist, but was still very much enjoyed by the readers.
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SEA CHANGE
Gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea
Nick Bamford
BEHIND THE PICKLE JAR
A fun, relatable,
emotionally powerful read!
Amazon
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
TWO LEFT WINGS - Safety Averse
4 kids - heart-warming / funny
friendship and self-growth
Amazon
Children Who Dance in the Rain
A children's book about
gratitude and self-discovery.
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
Changing Tide
A Thrilling First
Contact Novel
www.cougarproductions.com
The Stress Book
STRESS MANAGEMENT & PREVENTION
BOOK, WINNER OF 40+ AWARDS
Amazon
REVOLUTION: A NOVEL
Comical misadventures in
modern Los Angeles
Amazon
The Open Book
A family memoir of adventure,
trauma, & resilience
Amazon
The Last Spiritwalker
Blood, magic, myths &
a badass female lead
Amazon
TREACHERY!
A WW2 child
evacuee thriller
Amazon
THE SAD PRINCESS
Refinding joy with our
children is not a fairy tale
Amazon
SIN EATER
A girl with the power to
erase ANY bad memory!
Amazon
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
Drop the Fake Smile
How to stop people-
pleasing in relationships
Amazon
Selfish Shellfish & Sick Sea
An environmental gem for the
age. Get your copy at:
theprolificword.com
The Great Billy Butlin Race
First and only footrace from
John O’Groats to Land’s End
Stairwellbooks
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
Of the Noble and Great Ones
Real fiction about an autistic
teen who figures out life
Amazon
Arctic Dinosaurs
Her first Arctic year -
middle grade - free activities
Fathom Publishing
The Boy from the Night Sky
Thrilling fantasy adventure
for all ages.
Amazon
Master of Music - Marla Himeda
Book 1 of a unique,
inspirational fantasy series!
Amazon
The Lost Heir Book 1 and 2
Mash Princess Bride
+ dash of GOT
Amazon
Chains of Prophecy
A man finds he is the chosen
sorcerer of Heaven.
Amazon
From Patriarchy to Paradise
The script is flipped:
Women steer back to garden.
expandjoy
The Eye of Nineveh (thriller)
They found a gem powered by
the gods. Now, it´s vanished.
Amazon
Plague of Flies
A young Latina fights to save
her people and land.
Amazon
THE FISH TANK - short stories
NARRATIVES ABOUT LIFE, EXILE,
GHOSTS…AND MURDER.
books2read
I FEEL YOUR STARE
An Autobiography by Cheryl
Gillespie - Book Award Winner!
Amazon
The War Ongoing: Knightfall
Knights embark on adventure
where sci-fi & fantasy collide
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
The Power of...
kindness, gratitude,
empathy & positivity
Amazon
Destiny Lives on Fairhaven St.
A father's true story to his
sons. Winner of 17 awards.
Amazon
A SQUEAKY TOY, A LEASH, AND
A PRAYER Mom's Choice Awards
GOLD - for dog loving families
Amazon
Forever Boy
Isaac comes to realize his new
friend harbors dark secrets.
books2read
THE SELFISH SHELLFISH & THE
SICK SEA an environmental gem
for the age. GET A COPY AT:
theprolificword.com
Pumpkin King Saves Christmas
How Santa became jolly with
the help of the Pumpkin King.
Amazon
Adventures of Negassi Brothers
Exciting children's adventure
into African history
Amazon
Soul Release
An epic fantasy action
adventure in a world of magic.
Amazon
100% SUCCESS MINDSET
Achieve your goals and
improve personal development
Amazon
A Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams
13 creepy award-winning
stories for a cold, dark night
Amazon
TOUCH
Gritty coming-of-age
fiction with a purpose
Amazon
The Halloween Candy MONSTER
Jimmy teaches the Halloween
candy monster a lesson
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
Clouds on the Ground
Poems exploring natural beauty
and the realm of dreams
Amazon
The Girl Who Looked Beyond...
13 yrs old. How can she have
a destiny to save the world?
Amazon
MEMOIR OF A MANGLED MIND
Steve's 2 other personalities
wreak havoc all around him
Amazon
A Tree in Time
A fabilious journey into
the distant past.
gentlpresspublishing.co.uk
NEW TRAILS
One step changed his world.
One man changed his heart.
Amazon
The Woodsman
A 5* serial killer thriller
on Kindle and Unlimited
Amazon
Sneaky Snobby by Jennifer Kvam
LOOK OUT! Making trouble is
Sneaky Snobby´s hobby!
Amazon
Beyond a World Apart
Story Nazis attempted to burn
based on historical events
Amazon
THE PEBBLE CHAMPION
A stirring tale
of sadness and self-discovery.
Amazon
Chronicles of MatiLou/PerryAnn
Through it all the girls work
to save Mother Earth.
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
Top Psychological Thriller
Two couples befriend each
other with tragic consequences
Amazon
MORATURI LOST
Ship lost in Andromeda:
The vet is now Captain!
Amazon