Finalists 2023 | The Wishing Shelf Book Awards (original) (raw)
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:
Alphakazoo
Author: Edgar Garcia
Illustrator: Darya Shch
Grumpy Grump
Author: Ruthie Godfrey
Illustrator: Pablo D'Alio
I Will Be...
Author: Susan Pivero
Illustrator: Jo Renfro
Miles Smiles
Author: Abby Patterson
Illustrator: Wendy Leach
Tooth Be Told
Author: Cristina and Daniel Gonzalez
Illustrator: Kamdon Callaway
Starr of the Show
Author: Leigh Reagan Alley
Illustrator: Mark Nathan Hurry
Angels
Author: Rachel Churcher
Eternal Inka
Author: Clare-Rose Trevelyan
Illustrator: Yongho Moon
The Four
Author: Alexandra Haden-Douglas
Joy
Author: B R M Evett
DECADES
Author: Andrew Môn Hughes, Grant Walters & Mark Crohan
Wings
Author: Kathy Wright
A Wild Ride
Author: Niki Danforth
Performed by: Erin Parker
ReINCEPTION
Author: Sarena Straus
Performed by: Arielle DeLisle
A Quantum Alibi
Author: Liam Fialkov
Performed by: Dick Daleki
Body Talk
Author: Magdalena Bak-Maier
Performed by: Magdalena Bak-Maier
Grave Secrets
Author: Cassandra Aston
Performed by: Alexa Borys
Half In
Author: Felice Cohen
Performed by: Felice Cohen
Kat the Dog
Author: Alyson Sheldrake
Performed by: Zara Ramm
Managing Bubbie
Author: Russel Lazega
Performed by: Russel Lazega and J.J. Crowne
My Cousin Darcy
Author: Robin Elizabeth Kobayashi
Performed by: Lucas Keen
You, Me, We
Author: Morag Barrett, Eric Spencer, Ruby Vesely
Finding Gideon
Author: Sarah Hickner
Cover Designer: David Fassett
If at First...
Author: Jane Clack
Cover Designer: Lucy Spence
Paper Forests
Author: Tegan Anderson
Cover Designer: Oak Antony
Sneaky Snobby
Author: Jennifer Kvam
Cover Designer: Sarah Joy Kvam
The Boy Who Dared
Author: Rachel Coverdale
Cover Designer: Amanda Holden
An Enemy Like Me
Author: Teri M. Brown
Cover Designer: Matthew Fielder
Joy
Author: B R M Evett
Cover Designer: Kerry Ellis
Pink Blackbirds
Author: Robert J Rowell
Cover Designer: Sabeth Ireland
River of Ashes
Author: Alexandrea Weis, Lucas Astor
Cover Designer: Sam Shearon
Sunbreaker
Author: Joanna Starr
Cover Designer: Deranged Doctor Design
The Campbell Sisters
Author: Eileen Joyce Donovan
Cover Designer: Ellie Kay Bockert Augsburger
The Nephilem
Author: S.E. Wilson
Cover Designer: Maham Aziz
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
Arc
Author: M E Lange
Red Ribbon
The Big Dream
Author: Victoria E. Pannell, Thorir Sigfusson
Red Ribbon
Verdana
Author: Nadine Little
Sponsored Ads
THE CURIST
Abby Steel hunts an evil
killer. Can he be caught?
Amazon
A SQUEAKY TOY, A LEASH, AND
A PRAYER Mom's Choice Awards
GOLD - for dog loving families
Amazon
In the Shadows of Castles
A story of love, hope and
survival in a time of war.
Amazon
My Therapy Assistant
Self-Care Journal
& Mood Tracker
YouTube
Portraits of a Pandemic
The story of how a microscopic
virus changed our lives.
Amazon
THE LIGHTNESS OF WATER
"A refined fantasy adventure”
- Silver Medal, TWSA
books2read.com
THE TRALL SERIES
Middle-grade portal
fantasies set in Australia.
by Gayle Torrens
The Boy and the Jaguar
A magical Mayan tale
for middle-grade readers.
Amazon
There's a Duck in the House
TWSA FINALIST 2023
Large Format with Large Text
Amazon
Harmony Dances On
Helping children navigate the
journey through grief
Amazon
A HARD SILENCE
Grief, love, and learning to
speak the unspeakable
www.vineleavespress.com
Look 'N Up Invasion
Celebrate diversity by
imagining a world without it.
looknup.us
Battle for Eklatros
Can Ànifa’s party save
Eklatros from the invasion?
Amazon
Chains of Prophecy
A man finds he is the chosen
sorcerer of Heaven.
Amazon
Rainbow Cat and Mouse
How a hungry cat and a feisty
mouse become best friends
Amazon
Churchill’s Secret Army
WW2 courage and sacrifice
in the undercover SOE
www.cloudshillpress.com
MUMMY TRUMPS
A rhyming flatulent book that
is fun for all of the family.
Amazon
Anna and the Adders
A rhyming counting book
to get little ones learning
Amazon
BROKEN
A victim to survivor love
story with a twist.
Amazon
Sara My Sara
A moving tale of friendship,
loss, and the gifts of grief.
Amazon
SONG FOR MY FATHER
"A gripping drama...a FINALIST
and highly recommended." TWSA
Amazon
What Death Taught Terrence
A man reviews life from the
beyond. What will he learn?
Amazon
A Novel about Life...and death
Will a mom's superhuman
efforts save her family?
Amazon/Apple
Publishing Questions?
Find easy to understand
answers, top tips & more.
oldmatemedia
Epistolary
Mandy writes about her
life until tragedy strikes.
Amazon
Adventures of Beryl and Carol
Award winning, clean teen
adventure for all ages.
berylandcarol
Thar She Blows
Brian got swallowed by
a whale. Mom’ll be mad.
www.books2read.com
THREE DETAIL STORIES audiobks
Where storytime is an
adventure designed by kids
threedetailaudiobooks
Digging Deep by Dexter Hutt
She can cope with murder -
but what about betrayal?
Amazon
It Rains in February
A wife's memoir of love,
suicide, grief and loss
Amazon
ARNI'S ADVENTURES
8 charming, silly, comic
stories to laugh at & enjoy.
Amazon
THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS
Join the adventure with
the cat witches here:
Amazon
Misty Black Media, LLC
Get your picture book designed
& formatted by a professional
www.mistyblackauthor.com
WHINGEY WILLIAMS Term 1
Follow Whingey on her FIRST
adventure on Gower
Amazon
Day & Night
A behind the scenes tour
and evening immersion!
Amazon
Love in the Cupboard
A sweet, clean Catholic Priest
seeks a wife rom-com
Amazon
An Enemy Like Me
A story not only of war but of
love & what we will do for it.
Amazon
Samurai's Gift Among Forest
A grieving child's journey
to healing her spirit.
books2read
Of the Noble and Great Ones
Real fiction about an autistic
teen who figures out life
Amazon
RAVEN'S GRAVE Charlotte Stuart
Betrayal and death in
an Alaskan Tlingit village.
Amazon
THE BOOK
Earth will be fine, humanity
is on track for annihilation!
Amazon
LADY REAPER
Disorderly ghosts. Dejected
fays. Dreadful elves.
books2read.com
Wild Asses of Mojave Desert
“Funny & tender, moving &
poetic" Recommended US Review
books2read.com
FIGHT
Thought-provoking poems encou-
raging us to fight for justice
YouTube
Building The Beast:
The Comic Memoir
of a Crazy Idea!
Amazon
Sam & Me & the Hard Pear Tree
A personal account of
a mother’s ultimate loss
Amazon
The Fungus Among Us
Encourage children to explore
and connect to nature
Amazon
Tuskie’s Travels
Tuskie teaches his crew to
dissolve upsets in 30 seconds!
www.thekidcode.ca
LIKE NO OTHER - Cry.
Laugh.
Think.
www.fontreal.com
Literary Historical Fiction
Karma and horses drive one
family through 2500 Years.
Amazon
AMAZING WORLD BENEATH THE
WAVES Satisfy your curiosity
about oceans
www.barnettauthor.co.uk
In Other Words, Poetic Journey
Explore life through the eyes
of a tireless wanderer
Amazon
No Death in Finding Nemo
Stories of mundane lives which
change in surprising ways
www.jeffreyfeingold.com
SKY ICE
Demon hunters. Slow-burn
romance. Hidden world.
Amazon
NUDGES FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Must-read for those who grieve
or curious about the afterlife
Amazon