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Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries

December 31, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

31 Dec

Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries cover

Title: Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries: A Towers of Light Early Reader
Author: Allen Brokken
Series: Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit, book 1
Major Themes: Christian Life, Allegory, Animals, Raccoons, Fantasy
Synopsis: When Logan and his friend found darkness strawberries, they knew they needed to destroy them—but could Logan do it by himself?

My young teen and preteen readers have enjoyed Allen Brokken’s Towers of Light series, racing through them and not wanting to put them down. Because of that, when I was offered a review copy of the first book in his new Early Reader series, Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries, I decided to take a chance on it, and, when I got it, read it aloud to the same group of children, as well as my 5-year-old. Just to make it clear, this 5-year-old has advanced tastes as far as stories go; she has been listening to me read aloud literally hundreds of books for all age levels, since before she was born, and has the vocabulary and comprehension of a much older child. So, what did they think of this book? And what did I think?

Publisher’s description:

Logan was important…once! He helped slay a Dragon. Now all his days are chores, chores, and more chores. Will nothing relieve the drudgery?

But when he happens upon a hidden grove of strawberries with mysterious powers, his whole perspective changes, and he wonders if he’s found the mysterious fruit of self-control? Will Logan and his new pet raccoon, Rascal, solve the mystery before Logan’s Pa turns the rodent into a new hat?

My thoughts:

I found the story reasonably interesting, although my adult daughter, who listened to a lot of it as I read, thought it wasn’t worth much. The older children I read it aloud to, ages 10–15, listened and were interested, but it didn’t appeal to them all that much. The 5-year-old, however, really liked it, and when I asked her if she knew what it meant, she articulated the meaning of the allegory very clearly.

Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries is a good book for 7–9-year-olds who are ready for slightly longer chapter books. I would say it needs some parental guidance; Logan was disobedient (although he repented), and he was attacked by a raccoon, which some children might find scary. The idea of the “darkness strawberries” (representing temptation to do wrong) seemed weird to some of my family, and might be scary to especially sensitive children. I would be careful which children I just handed this one to, but it would be great for others.

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

WARNING: See the last paragraph of the review.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

A Faith Untamed

December 29, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

29 Dec

Title: A Faith Untamed
Author: April W Gardner
Series: Yoke of Babylon, book 2
Major Themes: Babylon, War, Jerusalem, Ancient Israel
Synopsis: As Nebuzaradan continues to destroy Jerusalem under orders from the king of Babylon, he simultaneously struggles with his attraction to Liora, who he cannot touch because of a rash vow—and despite her will, she finds herself attracted to him!

After I read A Light Undimmed last year, I could hardly wait for the sequel to arrive. April W Gardner did a good job of ending the book on a cliff-hanger! What happened next in the saga of Liora and Nebuzaradan? How could they break the deadlock they found themselves in?

Publisher’s description:

Jerusalem 587 BC: Liora, once a noblewoman of Jerusalem, is now bound to General Nebuzaradan, the Butcher of Babylon, who captured her city and now strips the Temple bare of wealth and dignity. Though her future fate seems sealed, a rash vow he made to Yahweh keeps him at a distance.

Just when she believes the worst is past, a rebel from the hills seeks her out, and an ambitious Babylonian prince arrives with designs for the Ark. While the rebel wants her aid and the prince wants her knowledge, Nebuzaradan simply wants her. As Jerusalem burns, Liora is thrust into the dangerous political games between prince and general, rebel and the people of her heart.

In a world of destruction and intrigue, Liora is once again a tool in the hands of power-hungry men—only her untamable faith in Yahweh will guide her through.

My thoughts:

I found myself a little bit disappointed with A Faith Untamed when compared with A Light Undimmed. It was a lot heavier on the romance than the first book in the series; I prefer lighter romance with more emphasis on the history or what is happening in the characters’ hearts and minds. It felt like a lot of this book was focused on the interactions of Nebuzaradan and Liora, and how they wanted to be together, but couldn’t because of his rash vow.

I did appreciate the glimpse into the fall of Jerusalem. As I said in my review of the first book, I haven’t read much before about Jerusalem’s conquest by the Babylonians. I love how much research April W Gardner does, and how she can describe the setting so clearly. Parts of this story are pure conjecture, but just as likely as not to have happened. The results of people turning away from God are shown here in stark reality—something that should sober all of us.

The bottom line? I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped, but I did like it enough to want to read the final book in the trilogy when it comes out.

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

WARNING: There is a lot of violence and murder (the Babylonians are conquering a city!). There is a vague reference to a rape, followed by a suicide.

Age levels:

Reading Independently— Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Not Regina

December 26, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

26 Dec

Title: Not Regina
Author: Christmas Carol Kauffman
Major Themes: Anabaptists, Switzerland, Reformation
Synopsis: A young woman in Zurich, Switzerland must decide who is right—the Anabaptists, whose peace and joy she can see, or the young man she loves, who leads Anabaptists to prison.

Not long ago, I pulled off our shelves all the books I could find about the early Anabaptists, and told the school children to choose which ones they wanted me to read aloud to supplement our study of that time period. My oldest, who has been out of school for many years, noticed Not Regina in the stack and said I had to read it to the children—it was one of her favorite books! So, we read it.

Publisher’s description:

The 1500s were stirring times in Europe. Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to a church door in Germany, exploding a powder keg of unrest that seethed for decades. Against this background, Regina Strahm found herself caught between two religious factions in Switzerland. Her parents repeatedly warned her against the Anabaptist heresy, and the young man she loved had no doubts about the state church’s claims. But why then did Zwingli’s official religion fail to satisfy her spiritual emptiness? And why were the Anabaptists willing to die for their faith? Regina discovered why, and found a joy she had never before known.

My thoughts:

I have loved Not Regina since I first read it when I was 8-10 years old. It has everything that makes a historical novel wonderful for all ages. There is a young woman who wants to find the truth. There are journeys through the night to avoid capture. There is a castle. There is a romance (very mild, no kissing). And, it’s set in a beautiful place—the mountains of Switzerland.

Christmas Carol Kauffman has done a good job, in this book, of capturing the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement and the Reformation in Zurich, Switzerland. This was a time of turmoil for many people, and it’s easy to feel that turmoil through Regina’s story. Through her questions, the issues that divided Anabaptists from the other reformers are explained clearly. She witnessed the death of Felix Manz, the first Anabaptist martyr. I believe this book was written for teens and older, but in my opinion, it is fine for preteens as well. Though there is a martyrdom described, it is not gory, and it didn’t seem to bother my super-sensitive 5-year-old when I read it aloud.

WARNING: Chapter 21: Man is drowned.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Other Places: Christian Light Publications—Paperback | CAM Books—Paperback

Goodnight, Mister Tom

December 24, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

24 Dec

Title: Goodnight, Mister Tom
Author: Michelle Magorian
Major Themes: Abuse, London Blitz, England, World War II
Synopsis: When Willie, an impoverished, abused boy from London, was sent to the countryside to live with Tom, a gruff, unfriendly but gentle man, neither of them could have known which direction their relationship would take.

I can’t remember why I purchased Goodnight, Mister Tom. I had never heard of this book or its author before, but I got it for some reason and added it to my pile to preview before putting them on the shelf. It took a few months, but last week I picked it up to read—and was immediately drawn into the story.

Publisher’s description:

Tom tucked a blanket round him, drew up a chair by the fire, and watched Willie fall asleep. The tales he had heard about evacuees didn’t seem to fit Willie. ‘Ungrateful’ and ‘wild’ were the adjectives he had heard used, or just plain ‘homesick’. He was quite unprepared for this timid, sickly little specimen.

Britain, 1940. With World War Two raging all around, young children are being sent from their homes in the city to the countryside for safety. When eight-year-old Willie Beech first arrives on Tom Oakley’s doorstep, neither is quite sure what to make of the other.

Brought up in terrible poverty, Willie is terribly shy, and totally unprepared for village life—but the gruff-but-gentle ‘Mister Tom’ quickly takes him under his wing. Neither he nor Willie could ever have predicted the journey they will go on together—nor the unbreakable bond that will be formed. Then, Willie’s cruel mother summoned him back to war-torn London. Would he ever see Mister Tom again?

My thoughts:

Whew, what a ride. Goodnight, Mister Tom is an incredible story. What would have happened to a child like Willie had not someone taken the time to love and accept him? Before going to the countryside, Willie had never known what it was to be loved. I found myself in awe of the way Tom Oakley cared for him. And it was not only Tom, but the entire village. The power of love is illustrated vividly in this book, as a boy who had never known anything but fear and degradation became a lively, confident, happy boy. And then, the bottom fell out of his life. Would he ever recover? I turned pages as fast as I could to find out what happened next!

This book is not easy to read; the abuse is ugly. However, it is worth reading for the beauty that comes out of such ugliness. This is one that will stick with me for a long time. I will be putting this in the Young Adult section of our library, rather than the children’s section.

WARNING: Abuse is either vaguely mentioned or briefly described throughout the book. A few words, such as damned or gosh show up rarely. Chapter 17: Terrible abuse, baby dies. Chapter 18: Boy vaguely describes to another boy how babies are made. Chapter 20: Someone commits suicide. Chapter 22: People killed in the London Blitz.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover | Audio CD
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Blood on the River

December 22, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

22 Dec

Title: Blood on the River
Author: Elisa Carbone
Series: Jamestown, book 1
Major Themes: Virginia, Jamestown, Powhatan, Native Americans, John Smith
Synopsis: A boy from the streets of London travels to the New World with John Smith, and learns a lot about life and who he is.

Blood on the River was one of the books I bought on Sonlight Curriculum’s annual clearance sale without knowing the contents. A year or so later, I realized that it was assigned as a reader in the level of Language Arts that one of my children would be working through, although we had an older version which didn’t use it. I decided to read it aloud, instead. I’m glad I did.

Publisher’s description:

Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can’t believe his good fortune. He’s heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first contact with the native people, he realizes that the New World is nothing like he imagined. The lush Virginia shore where they establish the colony of James Town is both beautiful and forbidding, and it’s hard to know who’s a friend or foe. As he learns the language of the Algonquian Indians and observes Captain Smith’s wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land.

My thoughts:

I have not come across all that many historical fiction books about Jamestown, Virginia. Blood on the River tells the story of John Smith and the early years of the European settlement of Virginia in a vivid way. It wasn’t an easy read; as you can see by the warnings below, there were a number of places where I edited on the fly as I read, and there was a lot of violence. The violence is true to history; if anything, the author didn’t include as much as there actually was. I recommend that this book be previewed by parents before handing it to their children, but it is a great way to learn history.

WARNING: Chapter 2: By God. Chapter 4: Man wants to hurt another man badly, man chained up. Chapter 5: Drying the hand of a dead enemy, mention of cannibalism. Chapter 6: Blasted. Chapter 7: Man describes beating someone to death, mention of cannibalism. Chapter 8: Boys fight, blasted. Chapter 9: Stupid. Chapter 10: Man killed by Indians. Chapter 14: Man burned to death. Chapter 15: “He didn’t get his brains bashed out,” man threatened with gallows. Chapter 16: Description of hangings. Chapter 21: Man dies. Chapter 22: By God. Chapter 23: Men brag about burning house, killing people, and robbing graves. Afterward: Cannibalism, massacre.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Library Binding | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com