We are going to continue to encourage kids (and adults) to read quality kids’ lit (or just to read!!), and one way is by hosting the Cybils Challenge for 2011. You will be able to choose which books you read, and how much you read. Stay tuned for an official signup post, but I do hope you’ll consider joining us as we explore current and past Cybils nominees, finalists, and winners.

But Kids’ Picks isn’t over yet! Link up (or jump in in the comments) and tell us what your kids have been reading and enjoying.

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

We had such a fun time sharing some of the products that we were able to preview with you. I hope that even if you didn’t win, you will consider some of these gifts for those on your lists.

You should have received an email asking for your shipping info. Please respond ASAP so that we can get your information to the sponsors so that they can send them out to you.

• Ten on the Sled picture book: #2 Stephanie, #15 Linda Kish, and #28 Jen C
• Richard Scarry’s Best Christmas Book Ever: #2 Jen B, #23 Stephanie, and #37 Some Lucky Dog
• Angelina Ballerina’s Nutcracker Sweet DVD: #11 Linda
• Book Lovers Calendar: #11 and #4 RiTa
• Snow White and Peter Pan: Grand Prize winner (both books) #29 Michelle, Snow White winners #38 Maria and #43 Staci A
• The Action Bible: #22 Brianna Beers
• Six Books from Scholastic: #118 Idaho Jill
• Two Star Wars books: #16 Melissa N and #46 Ginny
• Pinkalicious toy tie-ins: #18 Ruthie B
• i like journal for kids and for couples: #24 Ginny
• Book Buddy: #31, Marianne
• Two creative toy kits: #25, Natalia
• First Dog’s White House Christmas and Small, Medium and Large: #38 Brianna Beers
• The Robot Book: #6 Hilary, #16 Melissa P., #31 ms jones, #40 John, #49 Elisa
• Lemony Snicket’s 13 Words book and extremely limited edition signed artwork: #27 glykia2001
• Three books for booklovers about literary heroines: #30 Johnelle
• Dawn’s 5 Star Read Jack Blank & the Imagine Nation (at 5minutesformom): #23 Natalia
• Boxed set of all five Percy Jackson books, plus the new Lost Hero: #35 Melissa P.
• 2 Klutz kits: #42 Elisa
• Christian CDs & DVDs: TobyMac, Chris Tomlin and more: #23 Brianna Beers

In her new novel, Songbird Under a German Moon, Tricia Goyer tells the story of Betty Lake, an innocent young lady from California who travels to post-Hitler Germany to entertain the soldiers as a USO singer. Not too long after her arrival, mysterious and deadly events begin to occur. With the help of a dashing U.S. Army Corps photographer, Betty works to unravel the troubles at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus before she and the others remaining are harmed.

As usual, Tricia Goyer delivers a suspenseful tale that keeps the pages turning quickly. I enjoyed reading about Germany after the war, and I was especially intrigued by the setting in the Bayreuth Festspielhaus and the influence of the music of Richard Wager on the German people, including Hitler. Some aspects of the story were predictable (I think some of Tricia’s other books have more surprising twists and turns), but I enjoyed the book immensely.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, be sure to check out Songbird Under a German Moon and other works by Tricia Goyer. I enjoy her books every time!

To win one of three signed copies of Songbird Under a German Moon, be sure to visit Tricia Goyer’s website and enter her “What Era?” contest. You can also read more reviews of this book by visiting the blog tour page HERE.

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, an avid reader. She is happy living in this era with air conditioning, hot water, and plenty of good books. Lauren blogs at Baseballs and Bows. She thanks Litfuse Publishing for providing the review copy of this book.

Our list of Living Legends recognizes the accomplishments of public servants, artists, athletes, writers and more; people whose personal excellence has aided others, led the way, and continue to enrich our lives today:

Culture:
Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales

Faith
8 Steps to Create the Life You Want By Creflo A. Dollar
Points of Power By Yolanda Adams, Lavaille Lavette
Live Your Joy By Bonnie St. John

Fiction:
Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones
River, Cross My Heart by Breena Clarke
Cane River by Lalita Tademy

Medicine:
Brain Surgeon By Keith Black, Arnold Mann

Music
Big Man By Clarence Clemons , Don Reo
The B. B. King Treasures By B.B. King , Dick Waterman , Charles Sawyer
Patti’s Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously by Patti LaBelle and Laura Randolph Lancaster

Public Service:
The American Journey of Barack Obama By The Editors of Life Magazine
Long Walk to Freedom By Nelson Mandela
In His Own Words By Nelson Mandela, Clinton

Sports:
On the Line By Serena Williams, Daniel Paisner
A Kind of Grace By Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sonja Steptoe

Social Science/Psychology:
America Behind The Color Line By Henry Louis Gates , Jr.
What the Dog Saw By Malcolm Gladwell

Women:
Jewels By Michael Cunningham, Connie Briscoe
Mrs. O By Mary Tomer

If you’d like to win, click through to Hachette’s African American History Month page, and then come back here and leave a comment about which book you’d most like to win (U.S. and Canadian readers are eligible).

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Check out our current giveaways (we have a LOT this month). Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Take a picture of your pile, or just give us a few quick titles.

Tell us how you pick your books.

Address any or all of these topics: what you are reading, why you are reading it, how you are going to read it.

Find out about our upcoming community events at our Join In page. Coming soon:

• February 2: I Read It! (Tell us about books that you read at someone’s recommendation)
• February 9: Children’s Classic Mystery Challenge
• February 16: Kids’ Picks
• February 23: What’s on Your Nightstand
• March 30 (5th Tuesday): New Classics Bookclub — sign up anytime

Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter.

Link directly to your post telling us what’s on your Nightstand here. And don’t forget to visit around!

We will not be posting Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but if you are on the computer checking in, looking for something to read, why not check out some of the posts linked up to this month’s Nightstand post?

Or go back and read the archives of our essay series On Reading.

If you are looking for a DVD to rent (or a new book to read) check out our Books on Screen column. Since this IS the season for movies, and I’ve noticed quite a few literary adaptations coming out, remember that we always welcome guest posts for that column. You can email me if you planning to see a certain movie — especially if you’ve read the book as well — and I’ll slate you in.

And of course, if you want to see the best of the best — check out our 5 Star Reads reviews.

But most of all — keep reading!

Forced into a harsh marriage at the age of 16, Lydia Sellers is overwhelmed and relieved when her husband dies in an accident. Her stepchildren, who are close to her in age, quickly act to keep Lydia out of their lives and away from the family inheritance. Providentially, a small detail leaves Lydia as the heiress to the fortune.

Lydia’s greatest desire is to leave her former life behind, so she quickly packs and heads to Alaska to live with her aunt. Lydia’s stepsons, however, will stop at nothing to regain the money they claim as their own, and Lydia is not able to escape her past, no matter how far away she travels.

Dawn’s Prelude is the newest novel by author Tracie Peterson. Lydia’s story primarily takes place in Alaska, immediately following the United States’ purchase of the territory from Russia, and I found the setting to be fascinating. Of course, during this time, women were considered to be property, and that aspect of the story made my blood pressure rise a bit!

The overall theme of the story, that God works all things (even the bad things) together for good, is one that can’t be repeated often enough. Lydia’s struggle to overcome the challenges of her past and to put her faith in God is relatable to all of us, and I appreciated the story and the reminder.

Dawn’s Prelude is the first book in the Song of Alaska series. I look forward to reading book two!

Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, and an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows.

This one is from Hachette, the group sponsoring our Latino Books Month giveaway here, and is in my 5 Minutes for Books column over at 5 Minutes for Mom this week.

I’ve closed the comments here so that there’s no confusion, but pop over and enter to win 5 books just for mom.