
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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Seemore the Seagull
Illustrated, fun with a
'work together' message
Amazon
Ships in the Desert
Timely, illuminating, and wise
—Julian Hoffman
Amazon
RAIN FALLING ON EMBERS
A grieving, fish out of water
teen struggles to survive.
KatieMcCabeSeries.com
It Rains in February
A wife's memoir of love,
suicide, grief and loss
Amazon
Thriving After Sexual Abuse
Well-written and sensitive
guidebook for a wide audience
thrivingaftersexualabusebook
MUMMY TRUMPS
A rhyming flatulent book that
is fun for all of the family.
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
Harmony Dances On
Helping children navigate the
journey through grief
Amazon
THE GRAVITY OF LIES
WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE
WAS BASED ON LIES?
Amazon
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
FOR LOVE OF GOD
A gay man, torn between his
God and his own truth.
www.robinreardon.com
My Year at the Good Bean Café
Weird and inexplicable events
and their effect on our lives
Amazon
Defense of the Commonwealth
The first hero of the
Inter-Planetary Commonwealth
Amazon
Oh Daddy Chronicles
Laugh at Trump...Then
laugh some more...Repeat.
Amazon
REVOLUTION: A NOVEL
Comical misadventures in
modern Los Angeles
Amazon
MATTER PRESS
Compressed fiction
with a bang
Matter Press
MORATURI LOST
Ship lost in Andromeda:
The vet is now Captain!
Amazon
What Is the Shape of My Egg?
Introducing children to shape.
"An excellent STEM resource!"
Amazon
The Long Road to Namai
Adventures of a daughter of
Earth on a planet of psychics
Amazon
Harvey's Hutch
A man, nearly seventy,
looks back on his life.
Amazon
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT
YOU WILL BE? An inspiring
gift for any hopeful youngster
Amazon
The Boy and the Jaguar
A magical Mayan tale
for middle-grade readers.
Amazon
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
A woman’s inspiring quest for
comfort and joy after grief
Amazon
SUPER KENA
Fierceness comes in many
forms, even determination
Amazon
SeaMouse Builds a Boat
Mouse must find EVERYTHING he
needs to BUILD his boat.
Amazon
MISSING
Kidnapped, Emily must find
the mole to survive.
Amazon
The Toad from Outer Space
A cautionary tale about a
toad-ily historic space flight
www.childrensfunnybooks.co.uk
Love Snaggs
Join Snaggs on a fantastical
journey through time & space.
Amazon
COUNTDOWN AMERICA
A fast-paced cyber
espionage thriller
Amazon
BLACK TABLE
Can two sci-fi fans from
Finland save the galaxy?
Amazon
Your Perfect Freelancer HERE!
Illustrators, Writers, Blurbs,
Editors, Layout Designs
Metaworx
Pebbles and the Biggest Number
A butterfly’s quest to
find the largest number
Amazon
PWF for Women 40+
Paranormal Women's Fiction -
NEW SERIES!
books2read.com
Thar She Blows
Brian got swallowed by
a whale. Mom’ll be mad.
www.books2read.com
SKY ICE
Demon hunters. Slow-burn
romance. Hidden world.
Amazon
PROPHECY OF LOVE
Love, it isn't what
you think it is
Amazon
Peak Brain Plasticity
Boost Brain Power
Boost Brain Power
With Neuroscience
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
Rainbow Bridge
Ever wondered where your
dog ends up after this life?
Amazon
Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures
A Special Ops patrol boat’s
Caribbean adventures.
Edward M. Hochsmann
FACE, A MEMOIR
A harrowing and life-affirming
memoir. It will draw you in.
Amazon
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
PARIS BLUE, first love memoir
Classical music and first love
in the magical city of Paris
www.mybook.to
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
When Secrets Come to Light
A novel of love, mystery
friendships, and murder
www.georgerhopkins.com
THE TIFFIN
A novel this original is
1 in 6 million - Quill & Quire
Amazon
Jemma and the Raven
A luminous adventure in
this epic YA fantasy debut
Amazon
The Stress Book
STRESS MANAGEMENT & PREVENTION
BOOK, WINNER OF 40+ AWARDS
Amazon
UNTANGLING YOU
Take control of how u respond
to difficult relationships
www.kerryhowells.com/books
Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Children's mental health story
It's ok NOT to be ok
Amazon
THE S.O.U.R.C.E.
Marine Animals, Kids
Miracle Escape, Powerful Messa
Amazon
Aunty Jane Knits Up A Storm
Loss & healing through friend-
ship knitting and community.
Amazon
“Later,†Said Gator
Encourage kids to clean up
in a positive, fun way!
Amazon
PROPHECY OF LOVE
Love, it isn't what
you think it is
Amazon
Selfish Shellfish & Sick Sea
An environmental gem for the
age. Get your copy at:
theprolificword.com
Billy the Badger is Sad!
Can two hedgehogs cheer
up their badger friend?
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
An inspiring, heartfelt
journey of joy after loss
Amazon