About the Book

Book: Logan vs. the Hateful Strawberries : A Towers of Light Early Reader (Logan’s Search for the Fruits of the Spirit Book One)

Author: Allen Brokken

Genre: Christian Fantasy

Release Date: May 8, 2025

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?

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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 and through his blog.

More from Allen

As a writer, I tend to lean toward what I know for inspiration. Actual life events or people I know shape what I write about. As a ministry volunteer in church for over 15 years, I regularly saw the challenges children with ADHD or other spectrum disorders had with the church. Volunteers are ill-equipped to understand their unique needs, and many of the young boys I worked with ended up having terrible experiences at church because they just couldn’t fit in.

So when I set out to write an early chapter book for boys I wanted to find a way to shine the light of God’s truth right where they lived. Having been diagnosed with A.D.D., I understand these challenges and the general mentality. On the one hand, this can have detrimental effects when being forced to sit in a chair with nothing to do but listen; on the other hand, it can supercharge tasks that require intense focus.

I also had inspiration from the existing Towers of Light series I wrote for a middle grade audience and pre-existing characters that children love. So I worked with the real-life Logan to craft this story that exemplifies the spiritual gift of love as the antidote to the poison of the hateful strawberries. Plus, the antics of Rascal the Raccoon add just the right touch of comedy and action to keep young children turning the pages.

Interview with the Author

1)What does success as an author look like to you?

It’s having kids love my books enough that they want to take my characters on their own adventures. I received a letter from a fan earlier this year that detailed a next round of books after the conclusion of the Towers of Light series, that actually wasn’t too far from something I’ve already planned.

2)Which part of the book was the most difficult to write?

There’s a confrontation between Logan and his Pa that was incredibly hard to write. The story is set in a world that resembles the 1860’s Frontier in America. Balancing out the harsh realities of the world of that day with modern sensibilities about how to address misbehavior in children. The feedback I’ve gotten so far has been I threaded the needle on that one, but it was difficult to write.

3)What inspired this book?

I spent much of my adult life in children’s church. I’ve seen children with ADHD struggle to engage in typical church environments. When you look at these children’s typical behavior in church they would be more likely than not be pictured as the “bad guy” in a faith based children’s story, always disrupting things. I wanted to tell a story through there eyes, because I have ADD and can empathize with their plight.

4)What is your vacation spot?

The beach! I love the beach on the ocean especially. something about just sitting and watching the waves and listening to them is the best possible relaxation I can find.

5)Describe your view as you’re sitting in your writing chair.

I have three monitors. Two stacked on top of each other in landscape and one to the side in portrait. I use the one in portrait for editing because it gives me a much longer distance I can drag words back and forth on. One of the other monitors has a video playing of the beach or a walk through the woods and the third has music playing, often an epic sound track from Lord of the Rings or Starwars. The table is a jumbled mess of bills and papers, with some legos underneath and a big cup of coffee.