Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries: A Towers of Light Early Reader

by Allen Brokken, Logan Freeman (Contributor)

Logan was a hero...a long time ago! He helped defeat a dragon! Now, all Logan does is chores. Will his boring life ever change?
A glimmer of hope out of his drudgery appears when Logan finds a secret patch of strawberries with strange powers! It makes Logan wonder if these are the fruit of self-control the pastor was always preaching about. Join Logan and his new raccoon friend, Rascal on an adventure to solve the mystery before Pa gets a chance to turn Rascal into a hat!

108 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2025

About the author

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He's a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media @allenbrokkenauthor, and through his blog https://www.allenbrokkenauthor.com

Reviews

[Charmy Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good little book! I thought it was full of wonderful lessons for young readers that were delivered through an interesting and relatable story. Logan is young and still has a lot to learn, but God grows him through his trials. This book’s target audience is young readers, and I thought the book would be great for beginners. The story is interesting without being hard to follow or over-laden with complicated words. I think kids would really enjoy this book, and it would be a wonderful one to get them started reading on their own.
The story is engaging and really relatable, even as adult. Logan’s attitude and actions show that he needed to mature. His parents do a wonderful job of correcting his behavior and heart-attitude in a Godly manner. I enjoyed reading how Logan realized how important the fruits of the spirit are in life. He also learned humility and the need to right wrongs we have done. This book gives all these lessons that kids need to learn in a way that is easy to understand, and, perhaps, in a character that they can see themselves in. I highly recommend this book to parents! It is an off-shoot of a series, but I was able to read it without having read the books connected to it. It truly was a great little book!
Just to note: Logan finds strawberries tainted by Darkness, which is the evil in the world of the book. When he consumes them, it causes him to experience what would likely be described as a high. They are also very addicting, which is akin to drugs. They are portrayed as being terrible and sinful, so this book could be a great way to open the door to speaking to your kids about the dangers of drugs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

[Kendra Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Reader Children's Book are an important Genre. Logan Vs. the Hateful Strawberries : A Towers of Light Early Reader by Allen Brokken is the latest in this genre that I had the opportunity to read. It is Book 1 in Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit series.

I was actually very intrigued by the storyline. Logan, like many kids his age, is bored by the routine of daily chores, as it seems that is all his day consists of. He decides to go exploring and this is when the story gets really captivating and captures the readers attention. Logan finds a Strawberry Patch that seems to have "magical powers". Logan and Rascal the Raccoon want to figure out why the Strawberry Patch is mysterious. I really LOVE how Logan figures out that the Strawberry Patch is teaching him a lesson and thus the mysterious feeling from the Patch. Just as Logan found a "hidden patch" this book has a "hidden message" that it is teaching the kids. Logan discovered the "Fruit of the Spirit" message in the Strawberry Patch. Young Children will always disobey their parents. God's Word says "Obey Your Parents". The Fruit of the Spirit is a wonderful and easy to understand Biblical Principle for Children to understand. I really appreciate and LOVE how the author gets this message across. Logan and Rascal the Raccoon are GREAT characters in this book. Logan talking to his Dad and telling his Dad he is sorry really is heartwarming. I do recommend this book for children ages 5-7. GREAT BOOK!

[Patti Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the books in the Tower of Light series by Allen Brokken, I looked forward to reading and reviewing Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries : A Towers of Light Early Reader (Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit Book One). One day Logan discovers a grove of strawberries with mysterious powers. He also finds a new animal friend, a racoon he names Rascal. This Christian fantasy will draw in readers of all ages.

As a result of finding the strawberries, his perspective changes and he finds himself getting in more and more trouble. If you have read the Tower of Light series, you will find some familiar characters reappearing. If you have not read the Tower of Light series, I believe you should still be fine to read this book. I loved how the author includes the Fruits of the Spirit in this story.

If you have young people in your life you want to bring up in the knowledge of God and reading, this book provides the perfect bridge between the two. I loved getting to know Logan, Rascal, Logan’s parents, and other characters in this story. Once I began reading, I found myself unable to put this book down.

So, if you are looking for a Christian fantasy, check out Allen Brokken’s Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries : A Towers of Light Early Reader (Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit Book One). I definitely recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We adore the Tower of Light series, so I instantly knew that we were going to love this book for younger readers. Allen Brokken has a way with words that is both humorous and imparts a lesson of value into the hearts of your children. I love that I know when they pick up one of his books that it is going to be character-building.

This novel brings us Logan and his journey with his buddy Rascal the Raccoon. Rascal, yeah, that sounds like a great name for a raccoon! Together, they must find out the secret of the strawberries before Rascal is turned into a hat (at least that’s what we’d turn a raccoon into).

Logan is struggling with his self-image and maybe even some self-worth after he was a hero, and now he’s just, well, ordinary, might be a good word for it. He has to do chores! Ugh! How dare they make him do chores?!

This new series for early readers focuses on the fruits of the Spirit. We love the fruits of the spirit here and sing several songs about them, so this series is going to go along beautifully!

Grab a copy and join in the reading fun!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

[Carol Keen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logan has had a hard time. He's fought dragons and overcome so much, and now he's stuck on endless, repetitive chores. Poor Logan just isn't doing what would make his task easier. He's minus a hat, minus bug repellent, minus a handkerchief, and frankly, he's all out of joint on this day.

He's really weary of this, and when Ma sets him free of chores to go get his best friend and play. They are supposed to be careful, though, because Darkness is still scattered here and there. Then they find a rather magical strawberry patch. Ah, but are they actually what they seem to be? What is that doing way off in the woods, too close to Darkness? How much like the Darkness Rasberries could they be? They are so ripe and plump, and you absolutely have to read what happens. I love Rascal too; he's a marvelous raccoon companion.

I greatly enjoyed Logan's POV and the good Southern-like dialogue. I love how multi-layered with morals and spiritual principles this story is. I've missed books like this, even if it is a "kids" book, it just works for me. It's bound to be a hit with children up to close to their teens as well, because it's interesting and adventurous while teaching morals and being a cautionary tale.

Thanks to Celebrate Lit for my digital copy of this book. This review is mine. A positive review is never required

[Deana Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story for younger children that has mystery, imagination and great lessons. I thought Logan was a typical young boy who likes to explore more than doing chores. He is tempted to disobey his parents which leads him on an adventure with a raccoon. The mention of strawberries in the story made me want to go grab some out of my fridge.

I liked how the author was able to use the Fruits of the Spirit to illustrate how Logan knew he had messed up. When was the last time he showed goodness or even love ? He is so busy doing things that his patents don’t want him to do, that he has made them upset with him. Will they forgive him?

The talk that Logan and his father had was very touching. Even though Logan has done some bad things, he hears his father telling him that he loves him. God does the same for each of us. We may sin or wander away from Him, but He still loves each of us. Logan is so tempted by something he knows is wrong, that he forgets that there will be consequences.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

[Emma Filbrun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to the children who are at home during the day, ranging in age from 15 down to 5. The older ones thought it was pretty lame, but when I asked my 5-year-old what she thought about it, she said she liked it. I asked her if she understood it, and she (being a very articulate little girl) was able to explain the allegory to me very well. Based on the feedback I have gotten from my children, I would recommend this book as an early introduction to spiritual warfare and allegory, for 6-8-year-olds. It’s gentle enough for most children in that range; there is some tension, but not much danger. Logan disobeys his parents—and later repents and makes things right as far as he can. As with this author’s other books, it is not great literature, and could do with better proofreading, but it has a sound message and appeals to the age range it is written for.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries: A Towers of Light Early Reader (Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit Book One)" by Allen Brokke is a book for younger children (6-10). I recommend reading the other "Towers of Light" books before this one but if you don't I think they would get the message. I just thought it helped knowing the events and how the weapons used in this story came to be. This book is a short 100 pages.
This story is about how Logan disobeys his parents and lies and the consequences and then he repents, and everything is better. I liked this story because of Rascal the Raccoon.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.

[Denise Barela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book! It’s a good read for kids who are wanting to start chapter books that are a little longer. The characters were very cute, so I think children will find themselves connecting with some of the characters. There are also a lot of great lessons for kids to learn while reading this story. I find that using stories to teach kids lessons tends to help kids process stories easier, and it’s a great way to help kids develop those reading comprehension skills. If you have a kiddo who’s reading chapter books, this would be a great option for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.