Suzanne Burke

Logan awakens to find himself in ancient Egypt with no idea how he got there. Strangely, he seems to be able to talk to the woman there who he discovers is Cleopatra. Also strange is that some of the other greyhounds strongly remind him of his pack mates from home. He notices a distinct difference between himself and the others in that his coat is a light tan and theirs is black. He seems to be rare here.

Logan has several adventures in Egypt which lead him and the other greyhounds into danger. The story attempts to demonstrate the intelligence of the greyhound by having them come up with solutIons to problems that humans would come up with. While this may not be realistic in terms of what a greyhound would actually do, it does get the idea across that the greyhound is a very intelligent and resourceful creature.

Logan is bullied by the pack leader who is much bigger and stronger than he is, but he still challenges him to a race. I liked that Logan did not back down from this bully but stood up for what he believed in and was able to help the bully see that leadership through bullying is not leadership. True leadership is guidance and helpfulness to those you are leading.

There are a number of twists and turns in the story that will keep middle-grade readers interested. I liked seeing the suspenseful parts from Logan's point of view.

Logan's Mystical Collar is a fictional story, but it is an excellent source of information for facts about Egypt, Cleopatra and Alexandria. At the back of the book, after the story has concluded, there are nonfiction sections on these topics as well as information on greyhounds in Egypt and greyhound adoption. In addition there is a writing section with writing activities and vocabulary to learn that comes from this story itself. This short book would make a great addition to a classroom or homeschool setting.

Logan and the Mystical Collar is not a long book, but it is jam-packed with a lot of action and information. Even as an adult I enjoyed reading this book partly because Logan was a real dog (though the events in this story are purely fiction) and because of the facts about Egypt and greyhounds at the back of the book. I think dog lovers of all ages will enjoy this book. I gave it 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-logan-and-mysti...… (mehr)

Based on the true story of Rapido USA's retirement and transition to a forever home, Logan's Secret is told from the point of view of Logan (Rapido USA's new name after retirement).

The book is quite short, easily read in one sitting and geared for middle-graders. The story emphasizes keeping a positive attitude and keeping your mind on your goals rather than letting yourself get bogged down by the negative.

There are several pictures in the book that appear to be sketches or pictures that have been photoshopped so they look like sketches. They add interest to the story, help to tell it and give us an emotional connection to Logan. They also show us some of the variety of coat colourings there are among greyhounds.

I liked that Logan's Secret educated us about greyhound rescue through simple storytelling. Readers learn without actually realize they are learning. For those who want to use the book as a text for learning literary skills, there is a section in the book with vocabulary to learn and questions on the story to answer. This might be helpful to classroom teachers or homeschoolers using this book.

Also at the end of the book is a chapter telling the actual story of Logan's transition from racing dog to retired racing dog. It was good to see where the author moved away from what actually happened to what she created and how she wrote the story to fill in the blanks for the portions of time where she was missing information about Logan's whereabouts. This too might be useful as a lesson in story writing.

Though the book was written for children, I found it quite engaging for adults as well. I enjoy most stories that are based on true events and this one was especially interesting because I got the opportunity to see where the story varied from the actual events.

I liked this book for its educational value about greyhound rescue and the opportunity to compare the actual true story with the fictional story. I also liked the Projects for Children section of the book. There are some interesting activities for students to do based on the book.

I think that anyone with an interest in animals, regardless of age, will appreciate this book. I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

To see my complete review, visit Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/book-review-logans-secret-b...… (mehr)

I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

There is so much to love about this book. I have to admit that my husband raised grey hounds for years and I knew nothing about this breed. My husband worked for the dog track in Sarasota, Florida. He was always telling me what great dogs they are.

In this story we meet Logan a golden greyhound who wakes up in ancient Egypt. There he meets Cleopatra and her greyhounds. He doesn't know how or why he is there. Zeus is Cleopatra's body guard and doesn't like Logan at all. Logan will play a major part and be declared a hero before the story is done. There is also the underlying message about bullying that children will definitely be able to relate to.

I enjoyed not only the story, but the valuable information found at the back of the book. I didn't know that there were penalties for killing dogs in ancient Egypt. I also didn't know that only royalty could own greyhounds. As an adult I loved this book and I'm sure my students will love it just as much.… (mehr)