Finalists 2022
Below is a list of the 2022 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, 2023.
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:

Benny the Brave in The First Day Jitters
Author: Julie Anne Penn and Darren Penn
Illustrator: Sergio De Giorgi

The Dragon and the Unicorn: The Magic of Friendship,
Author: Charly Froh
Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova

Novo, The Space Robot, How to Solve the Mystery of Crying
Author: Charly Froh
Illustrator: Zuzanna Svobodova

Super Kena - A Girl Made Fierce with Hearing Aids
Author: Becky Cymbaluk
Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova
A Red Ribbon is awarded to a book that did NOT get over 25/35 to be a finalist, but was still very much enjoyed by the readers.
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A Good Day and Other...
A wide-ranging collection
of imaginative, funny stories.
Amazon
My Year at the Good Bean Cafe
A riveting tale of unlikely
and inexplicable events.
Amazon
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
The Collective Consciousness
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
The Faces She Sees
A thrilling mind-freak of a
mystery - Kirkus Review
by Elizabeth Scozzari
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
Half a Faerie
A disgraced rockstar falls for
a half-faerie single mom.
by Toni Cabell
Pippin's Country Adventure
A happy fun educational read
about an adventurous poodle.
Amazon
THE NIGHT SLAYER
Perfect for PERCY JACKSON fans
'Thrill-a-page, fantasy' TWSA
Amazon
Jack's 1st Birthday Adventure
Journey to Jingle Jangle:
A fun story with activities!
Amazon
Tally and the Angel
Unstoppable middle-grade
adventures around the world!
by Eleanor Dixon
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
Why Alaska?
An immigrant's tale in
the last frontier of America
The State I Came To Love
The Great Migration
Survive valley. Stop outbreak.
Or watch the kingdom burn.
Amazon
Into the Thicket
Boy finds an injured rabbit
sparks heartfelt journey
Amazon
The Third Estate
WHEN THE TRUTH SURFACES
AND THE LIES are REVEALED
Amazon
Arni's Adventures
Pet dinosaur, bear, cat story
for the young reader.
Ashok
THE SAD PRINCESS
Refinding joy with our
children is not a fairy tale
Amazon
SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ARCHITECT
Dream up towers and
make them stand for good
by Linda Soules
LEGACY
A character-driven sci-fi/
fantasy with a twisting plot.
Amazon
THE GRAVITY OF LIES
WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE
WAS BASED ON LIES?
Amazon
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Karin Adams
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
Magic & wonder collide
in this bold MG adventure
by Carla Kessler
Esme and Griswald
A WITCH in search of a
POTION to save her PRINCE
Amazon
The Ghost of Neil Diamond
A tribute artist scales
the Great Wall of China.
by David Milnes
From The Back of a Donkey
Fresh captivating look at the
Christmas Story told by Mary
by Nancy Elaine Hartman Minor
The Artificial Elephant
Ghosts. Love. Winter.
Hope. Fantasy / SF stories.
Stories of loss, magic, & hope
NEW TRAILS
A queer portal fantasy of
magic, courage, and home
books2read
ADAMS MORGAN FUGUE
a novel
A neighborhood love story
Amazon
MORAL FIBRE
A Lancaster skipper, his crew
and the woman he loves.
by Helena P. Schrader PhD
If Roses Were Blue
Inspiring, heart-warming
adventure for ages 8 & up
Amazon
WAYS TO BE EQUALLY HUMAN
A deep dive into being non-
binary,climate activism & love
by Leslie Tate
Cinderella, A Love Story
An award winning cozy middle
grade faerie tale retelling.
Amazon
Nick...Lost Temple of Pelias
History, mythology, legends...
unexpected secrets.
Amazon
CAME A GENTLE WHISPER
A bittersweet, richly
layered historical romance.
by Rebecca A. Cathey
The Scrivener's Apprentice
Words have power.
Especially hers.
Amazon
MUPPIT BOY - ALLERGIES OF EVIL
"Suspense-filled, humor-filled
adventure for 9 – 12s" TWSA
by Michael J. Bowler
Bentley's Fantabulous Idea
Embark on a whimsical colorful
journey filled with fun
MikiTaylor
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows, & humans
dying at Moonshine Mesa?
Amazon
I Never Said I Love You
A story of travel, friendship,
forgiveness, & roads not taken
Amazon
FALSE NEUTRAL
One chance to finally
make sense of it all.
Amazon
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
The War Ongoing: Knightfall
Knights embark on adventure
where sci-fi & fantasy collide
Amazon
BUILDING THE BEAST
Building a home-on-wheels
with zero blueprint.
Amazon
Clouds on the Ground
Poems exploring natural beauty
and the realm of dreams
Amazon
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
HENRY
Inspiring WWII Nonfiction
survival account
Amazon
Irish Famine Novel
My novel Hungry Trails
celebrates family resilience
Amazon
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
REVOLUTION: A NOVEL
Comical misadventures in
modern Los Angeles
Amazon
The Bride's Trunk
A gripping true story of
Anglo-German reconciliation
Amazon
THE ART IN MY PALM
Queer coming-of-age tale
set in Cyprus & Australia.
by Luke Icarus Simon
DRAGONDAH
The Secret Legacy
of Ottillee Bottomly
Amazon
THE UNBROKEN
Love and adventure in
the strange worlds of mind.
Nigel Peace
The Lonely Lighthouse Bogle
A quirky rhyming tale honoring
the magic of friendship
Amazon
Popina & Slumberina
Join in a Magical Journey of
Growth and Self Discovery
Amazon
Alphamind
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































