
Finalists 2023
Below is a list of the 2023 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, 2024.
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:
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.
Sponsored Ads
MUMMY TRUMPS
A rhyming flatulent book that
is fun for all of the family.
Amazon
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
A Tree in Time
A fabilious journey into
the distant past.
gentlpresspublishing.co.uk
Bentley's Fantabulous Idea
Embark on a whimsical colorful
journey filled with fun
MikiTaylor
FALSE NEUTRAL
One chance to finally
make sense of it all.
Amazon
NEW TRAILS
A queer portal fantasy of
magic, courage, and home
books2read
False Neutral
A story of choices made & not
made, & the collision of paths
Amazon
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
What You Cannot See
A woman trying to navigate
and understand her life
Amazon
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
Azoria's Blade
They attacked her homeland.
Now, Azoria seeks her revenge.
Amazon
RED CHAIR PRESS
Titles in Dyslexic and
/or Large Print editions
ReadHowYouWant
MORATURI LOST
Ship lost in Andromeda:
The vet is now Captain!
Amazon
Adventures of Wizard Aquarius
A clever young wizard searches
for his missing grandfather
Amazon
Thar She Blows
Brian got swallowed by
a whale. Mom’ll be mad.
www.books2read.com
My Year at the Good Bean Café
Weird and inexplicable events
and their effect on our lives
Amazon
Angry Arthur
and The Run Around Trick
Learn to manage big feelings
Amazon
THE JEWEL OF WENZLO
An epic conflict
between rodent kings
Amazon
Winds of Discontent
Gun running, investigative
reporter and Yvonne
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Changing Tide
A Thrilling First
Contact Novel
www.cougarproductions.com
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
An unlikely friendship, clash
of cultures, and hidden magic
Amazon
SEA CHANGE
Gay romance and adventure
on a yacht at sea
Nick Bamford
CHILDREN OF HORSESHOE HIDEOUT
A modern day Boxcar Children,
loved the world over
Amazon
The Princess and the Spy
A witty and heartfelt
YA fantasy mystery
Amazon
VR,AR &AI in Special Education
Tech transforming special ed:
benefits, risks & apps
Amazon
Guiding Kids Through Anger
Parenting chaos
meets humor therapy
Amazon
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com
THE PORTAL KEEPER
Enter a world of Fantastic
Creatures and Magic!
books2read
Memoir of Millennial Caregiver
A story of caregiving, loss,
and acceptance of the unknown.
Amazon
CLEAR-CUTS
Raw, visceral, unflinching...
ties that bind coming unbound
Amazon
The Puppet Maker's Daughter
Marika protects her family &
orphaned children from Nazis.
Amazon
WELCOME TO OPINE
Homo Sapiens 2.0: Will genetic
blessing be their undoing?
Amazon
Rooted and Remembered
An orphaned boy wonders if
home is a place or a feeling.
Goodreads
THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS
Join the adventure with
the cat witches here:
Amazon
Comfort in the Wings
A woman’s inspiring quest for
comfort and joy after grief
Amazon
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Woster
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
DAUGHTER OF SPIES
Wartime Secrets, Family Lies
A FINALIST in TWSA
Amazon
A Bloody Hot Summer
Bloody murders occur in 1920s
England during a heatwave
Amazon
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
THE TIFFIN
Lost tiffin. Note gone astray.
A boy's search for family.
Amazon
Tilda Finds Her Rainbow
Journey of kindness, courage,
friendship and forgiveness
nicolaalewis.com
Arctic Dinosaurs
Her first Arctic year -
middle grade - free activities
Fathom Publishing
A Portion of Malice
A thought-provoking thrill
ride into the apocalypse
Amazon
The Monarchs
"A thought-provoking spiritual
quest" - Kirkus Reviews
Amazon
Little Puppy's Great Adventure
Adorable story. Great for
both parents as well as kids.
Amazon
Exclusion Zone
The VORKOSIGAN SAGA
meets DIE HARD.
Amazon
The One Week Writing Workshop
7 Days to Spark, Boost
or Revive Your Novel
Karin Adams
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
Social Media & Mental Health
‘’Empower your child to be
safe in the digital world’’
Amazon
Gollogans of Carrickgollogan
An exciting woodland
adventure story for 7-9s
Amazon
Captain Polo Saving the Planet
"Eco-adventure comics
for middle graders"
www.alanhesse.com
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
PICTURE THE ALPHABET
Find over 150 objects, learn
letters & build vocabulary.
Amazon
SeaMouse Builds a Boat
Mouse must find EVERYTHING he
needs to BUILD his boat.
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
THE REPROBATES
Do you remember suffering
from a death of the soul?
www.benjamingrose.co.uk