Reading through Ohio ~ Here We Come! from the By the Way Book Series has given my kiddos and I a great way to start a state history discussion as we read about one of the states we visit the most – OHIO! We have wanted to study some state history and have already studied our home state so we thought a study of Ohio would be a great addition. And what fun it has been!
So what is Ohio ~ Here We Come! from By the Way Book? It is a beautiful, colorfully illustrated hardback book about Ohio. This awesome book by author Joy Budensiek is designed to help parents present a Biblical worldview to their children through exploring exciting places throughout the world. The author’s goal is to write 100 books, one for each of the 50 states and then begin to write about other places around the world. Each book contains some amazing and interesting facts about the place the book is exploring as well as scripture and discussion of God in relation to His creations.
The book is full of artwork, photographs and cartoon images of the characters that are exploring, in this case, Ohio.
Ohio ~ Here We Come! begins with Alex and Lexi, the characters in the book, getting excited for their Spring Break trip with their family to visit their cousin on a dairy farm in Ohio. They begin by driving with their family from Pennslyvania to Ohio and begin discussing the fun things to do in Ohio. Lexi checks out a fact book on Ohio from the library and brings it along on the car ride and shares some interesting facts along the car ride.
Then, the family arrives in Ohio and the book goes with them on the exploration of Ohio. The book goes with the kids as they visit their cousin on their dairy farm and learn about animals and farming in Ohio. They learn about the history of Ohio as well as interesting state facts. They go visit some famous places in Ohio like the Air Force Museum, the Port of Cleveland, the Internation Peace Memorial, and the giant rubber stamp!
Uncle Buck is the character that lives on the dairy farm in Ohio and he is quite the storyteller and loves to talk about the history of his state so there are a lot of stories shared as well. He talks about the Ohio River, the Erie Canal, Hocking Hills where the Shawnee Indians lives, and Guggisberg Cheese Factory (did you know that Ohio is the #1 producer of Swiss Cheese- who knew?).
Animals that are found in Ohio are discussed and since Ohio has the largest Amish population of anywhere in the world, this culture is discussed. Crops that grow in Ohio are talked about and, of course, the buckeye is discussed (it is the Buckeye State after all).
Famous Ohioans are discussed briefly like Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, and, of course, Johnny Appleseed and the Wright Brothers. There is even a section that talks about the towns and their festivals like Oak Harbor Apple festival and Reynoldsburg Tomatoes festival. Did you know that Ohio’s official state insect is the ladybug? Frankly, I didn’t know that a state HAD an official insect but, cool, right?
We really enjoyed reading Ohio ~ Here We Come! from By the Way Book Series. Learning about Ohio was fun and the kids really enjoyed it. They especially loved reading about the places we have been or visit and learning about the history or knew places to visit next time we are in Ohio. The pages are jam-packed with interesting information and facts and pictures about Ohio. The kids and I really enjoyed all the pictures and little factoids.
I think this would be an excellent book to get and read before you take a family vacation to a particular state. Or a great way to study your own state history. I sure look forward to getting the Indiana book when it goes out.
Currently, By the Way Book Series is available for the following states:
Florida’s Treasure Coast ~ Here We Come!
Smoky Mountains ~ Here We Come!
Pennsylvania ~ Here We Come!
Ohio ~ Here We Come!
Washington ~ Here We Come!
Colorado ~ By the Way
But remember, the author plans to write one in every state so keep checking them out. You can visit By the Way Book Series on Facebook or their website to see all the books they have so far and pick up the one on your state or for your next vacation.
See what the rest of the Homeschool Review Crew has to say about all the books in the By the Way Book Series. Just click the banner below.
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