Finalists 2024
Below is a list of the 2024 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, 2025.
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.

Red Ribbon
'They're All Barking,' A Dog's Guide to Human Behaviour
Author: Professor Daniel Springer-Spaniel

Red Ribbon
Sweet Peas and Bees: Life at the Flower Farm
Author: Mary Murphy
Illustrator: Fiona Van Housen

Red Ribbon
Wanderer's Journey: A Refugee's Search for a Home in the Beautiful Game Author
Author: Vedran Dedic
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Your Words Your Love
A dazzling explosion
of beauty for your soul.
books2read
THE DARKWOLF SAGA (YA)
Embark on a harrowing journey
into fantasy and adventure.
Amazon
Truth Was Once Taboo
New humanity, ancient
wisdom: spirituality reborn.
Amazon
The Book of Jack
Candid and inspiring story of
coming to terms with suicide.
F. Scott Service
Lead the Competition
Read 100 Livestreaming &
Digital Media Predictions.
Amazon
Don't Look Too Tasty
Adventure: 9- to 12-year-olds:
twists & suspense!
by P G H Hannaford
Terracolina-A Place to Belong
A fantasy to delight middle-
graders and nature lovers.
Amazon
THE PORTAL KEEPER
Enter a world of Fantastic
Creatures and Magic!
books2read
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
Out of the Darkness...
A memoir of animal
connections, love, and healing
books2read.com
BOBBIN AND THE MAGIC THIEF
A broken rule. A stolen
friend. A faerie rescue.
books2read
The Lonely Lighthouse Bogle
A quirky tale celebrating
the magic of friendship.
Amazon
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
THEY'RE ALL BARKING
Springer Spaniel's eye-opening
view of human behaviour
Amazon
The Collective Consciousness
Embark on a journey into the
depths of the human spirit!
Amazon
GOING UNDER THE RADAR
Honest, insightful, battling
autism/mental health - TWSA
Amazon
The Princess and the Spy
A witty and heartfelt
YA fantasy mystery
Amazon
Moonshine Mesa
Why are bees, crows &
humans dying at the Mesa?
Amazon
Prescription for Frozen Heart
Pride & Prejudice meets
Grey's Anatomy - medical rom.
by Jo-Anne Duffett
The Monarchs
"A thought-provoking spiritual
quest" - Kirkus Reviews
Amazon
DOWN TO EARTH
Master the art of combining
logic with intuition
Amazon
The Beast Keepers
A young vet discovers a
world of mythical creatures
Amazon
SOUTH KOREA
A nuanced & engaging analysis
of Korea's rise to prominence.
Amazon
The Stranger of Ul Darak BK 1
A new intriguing epic
high fantasy series
sceston.com
Half a Faerie
A disgraced rockstar falls for
a half-faerie single mom.
by Toni Cabell
JUST RIVER
Hilarious and grave.
A story of resilience.
Amazon
Fenix and the Firework Fliers
Can Fenix save the Fireworks
when a firefly gets sick?
creativemovementstories.com
DREAMER OF DESTINY
Her dreams are calling to her.
Should she listen?
Barbara Woster
INTO THE BLAZE
A new trilogy where fantasy,
myth, and reality entwine
Amazon
THE FOUNDLING
A foundling rises to
reclaim his stolen birthright
Amazon
The Pond of Reflection
A Fantasy Adventure - Teamwork
Friendship & Self-Discovery
Amazon
THE MALLARD MELODRAMAS
A captivating series of
Victorian Mysteries
by RJ Williams
Nantucket Monsters
Island monsters on the sly,
live in the corner your eye
B. LAWSON HULL
The Great Migration
Survive valley. Stop outbreak.
Or watch the kingdom burn.
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
THE FISH TANK - short stories
NARRATIVES ABOUT LIFE, EXILE,
GHOSTS…AND MURDER.
books2read
Mirrors & Smoke: A War of 1812
'A smartly plotted, character
novel set in 1800s Canada' WSA
Amazon/Audible
The Third Estate
WHEN THE TRUTH SURFACES
AND THE LIES are REVEALED
Amazon
Clouds on the Ground
Poems exploring natural beauty
and the realm of dreams
Amazon
Of Mountains and Seas
A multigenerational urban
fantasy mystery.
Amazon
SOUL WALK
Unexpected Gifts of Grief and
Connection to Those in Spirit
Amazon
NEW TRAILS
A queer portal fantasy of
magic, courage, and home
books2read
“Hatch Chile Willie”
offers children a heartwarming
tale of friendship
Amazon
Glitching Souls - Steve Kenney
Neil can read minds...
He can't turn them off.
Amazon
The Halloween Candy MONSTER
Jimmy teaches the Halloween
candy monster a lesson
Amazon
A Portion of Malice
A thought-provoking thrill
ride into the apocalypse
Amazon
Touch of the Whimsy
Witty fantasy, this Castaway
romance is an enigma!
Amazon
The Monster Bones of...
A time travel mystery about
an ancient skeleton for kids.
by Linda Maria Frank
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
A First Book of Microbiology
A fun learning journey
down the microscope lens.
Amazon
TEMPEST'S SECRET
Adorable cosy mystery
with a kitten for 7-9 yr olds
Amazon
50 SECRETS NOBODY TELLS YOU IN
IN HOLLYWOOD Helping actors
avoid pitfalls & find success
Amazon
It Rains in February
A wife's memoir of love,
suicide, grief and loss
Amazon
The Gates of Dark Death
A gripping, faced-pace,
Tudor-period thriller
by Alan Reynolds
Down to Earth
A practical guide to using
intuition for smarter living.
Amazon
Confidently Mindful
Answers to your most asked
mindfulness questions.
Amazon
The Shadow of the Volcano
A thrilling 'time travel'
adventure for 7 - 13 yr olds.
Amazon
The Graffiti Killer
A mind unhinged on
the fulcrum of our age.
by David Milnes








































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































