Statesboro Herald columnist Julie Lavender recently received two industry awards for her book, “Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime,” published by Penguin Random House. At the awards ceremony at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writing Conference, held on the campus of the Ridgecrest Conference Center, Lavender’s book won the first Selah Award in the Children’s Literature category.
And to his surprise, Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime also received the Selah Children’s Book of the Year award, meaning it scored the highest among all children’s book categories.
“The competition was pretty fierce and I never imagined my sweet book would win two prizes,” Lavender said. “I personally knew all the children’s authors in the competition and their books are fabulous.
The Selah Book Awards, the premier awards in the Christian book industry, are sponsored and recognized at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writing Conference each spring.
“Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime,” published by Zeitgeist, an imprint of Penguin Random House, includes 52 Bible stories for children ages 4 to 8. Vividly illustrated by Shahar Kober, the book contains stories from the Old and New Testaments and contains reflections at the end of each story and a brief prayer.
“I had a blast completing this project,” Lavender said. “I love knowing that the little ones and the adults who love them cuddle up before bedtime and read stories from the Word of God.”
Lavender’s book is available online and in bookstores.