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.
Sponsored Ads
Mother To Elephants
A Beautiful Tale of
Care and Compassion
Amazon
Demons to Champions
A tale of neurodivergent
awakening and triumph.
Amazon
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Pelham
From B to A:Britain to Albania
Funny road trip memoir–
with 4 dogs & 1 big truck!
by Jacqueline Lambert
SUKIE – QUEEN OF CATS
A warm rescue-cat picture book
about finding family.
by Jan Falconer
Naked in the Now
What if presence felt like
being seduced by life?
Amazon
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
Gigglet Goes to School
Get your giggle on with
Gigglet. Perfect for 0 - 6 yrs
AMB Kids Books
Escape From Peconic Bay
A novel of love, impending
war, and espionage.
books2read
THEY'RE ALL BARKING
Springer Spaniel's eye-opening
view of human behaviour
Amazon
Into the Thicket
Boy finds an injured rabbit
sparks heartfelt journey
Amazon
Growing up Hadley
A story to shatter your heart
then mend it anew.
danawritesbooks
JUST RIVER
Hilarious and grave.
A story of resilience.
Amazon
The Coach Trip
A light- hearted,
mid-life, comedy romance.
by Morag Clarke
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
CHARCOAL BOY
Tudor London, boy, entangled
in politics, wins through
Amazon
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
One Year, One Night, 2nd Ed.
A beautiful story set in an
English village during WWII.
Amazon
REVOLUTION
A contemporary
satirical novel
Amazon
Sammie and Pumpkin
An adopted dog learns
how to make new friends.
Amazon
101 Ways to Wow! Our World
Insights, ideas, & actions
to encourage & empower
Amazon
BEHIND BULLETPROOF GLASS
A raw memoir about
pregnancy loss and grief
Amazon
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
The Faraway Mountains
A memorable novel about
growing up under dictatorship
Amazon
DRAGONDAH
The Secret Legacy
of Ottillee Bottomly
Amazon
NEW TRAILS
One step changed his world.
One man changed his heart.
Amazon
Secrets of a Social Butterfly
How I unstuck my life
and you can too.
Lynn Bruines
MaryLou
"An engaging, well-crafted
family drama" TWSA
Amazon
Arctic Dinosaurs
Her first Arctic year -
middle grade - free activities
Fathom Publishing
A Misfortunate Misfit
Incredible true story of a
man saving his own life
Amazon
Little Puppy's Great Adventure
Adorable story. Great for
both parents as well as kids.
Amazon
Mirrors & Smoke: A War of 1812
'A smartly plotted, character
novel set in 1800s Canada' WSA
Amazon/Audible
THE SAD PRINCESS
Refinding joy with our
children is not a fairy tale
Amazon
MORAL FIBRE
A Lancaster skipper, his crew
and the woman he loves.
by Helena P. Schrader PhD
SEA CHANGE
Gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea
Nick Bamford
Churchill’s Secret Army
WW2 courage and sacrifice
in the undercover SOE
www.cloudshillpress.com
Don't Look Too Tasty
Adventure: 9- to 12-year-olds:
twists & suspense!
by P G H Hannaford
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
RIVER WITCH
A haunting, emotional tale
of magic and purpose.
Amazon
THE GRAVITY OF LIES
WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE
WAS BASED ON LIES?
Amazon
Marvelous Mood-Mending Meadow
Picture Book About Gratitude &
Dealing with Kids Emotions
Amazon
SECRET SKY
Everybody wishes they could
fly - until it happens
books2read.com
WAYS TO BE EQUALLY HUMAN
A deep dive into being non-
binary,climate activism & love
by Leslie Tate
The Shadow Deception
Can a pranking pixie and a
grumpy angel save the world?
Amazon
AT RECEPTION
Will Sally fall for the charms
of a guest? ADULT FICTION
by Galahad Porter
TAILS
A magical story children will
love; and probably adults too.
by WJ Scott
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
Connecting Threads
A graphic memoir of
resilience and hope
Amazon
THE ART IN MY PALM
Queer coming-of-age tale
set in Cyprus & Australia.
by Luke Icarus Simon
The Other Lotus Girl
He was buying tea.
She was running for her life.
danielariddle.com
LIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE
WORLD Swap Wi-Fi for Wildlife
Shetland Adventure 9-12
WINTER, Book 1
DRAGONDAH (9 - 12 year olds)
Solving ancient mysteries and
outwitting scheming villains!
Amazon
Story and Structure
A book on story: 'beats Joseph
Campbell at his own game.'
Amazon
Finn's Funny Feelings
Helping children to manage
emotions in a healthy way
Amazon
Winkle and Aster
Urban fantasy that takes
imagination to its limits
books2read
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































