By The Way Book Series (A Homeschool Crew Review)

With the upcoming solar eclipse coming late this summer, our family has been talking about the possibility of going up to Oregon and Washington for a family trip to both view the eclipse and doing a bit of sightseeing.  I was fortunate to be able to review Washington~Here We Come!, one of the books offered in the By The Way Book Series from author Joy Budensiek and illustrated by Stephanie Robledo.  

About By The Way Book Series

"19 out of 20 Christian parents and grandparents do not talk to their children about God and spiritual truths in their daily lives."  It was because of this statement, spoken by Dr. Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries, that the By The Way Book Series was created.  Realizing that families do not discuss God's truths with their children throughout the course of the day, the founders of By The Way Book Series waned to create a series of educational books that not only introduced children to the world around them, but also help parents to include these truths in the process. 

Each book focuses on one state (although a book about Ireland is currently in the works, expanding the series outside of just the United States) and teaches about the state's history, culture and geography.  In Washington~ Here We Come!, readers follow the adventures of teenagers Alex and Lexi as they travel through the state of Washington with a tour group on an RV. With the help of a tour guide, over the course of four days they explore the Evergreen State and along with the reader they are introduced to the landmarks, flora and fauna, entertainment, industry and people of Washington.  Filled with beautiful full color photographs and cute illustrations, along with an interesting story, this hardcover book, 50 page book does a great job at peaking the readers interest.

This book was a great opportunity for the kids to visualize and learn about the many things that we might be able to see and do when we visit Washington later this year.  Being in the desert, it's was so much fun for them to flip through the pages and look at the picture of harbor seals, killer whales, lush forests and fields of flowers.  This book is filled with so many interesting facts. Example: Did you know that the American Goldfinch is a wild canary? Or that there is over 4,500 species of crab? These are just a few of the many tidbits of information readers will learn about. 

In addition to the plethora of facts, the author incorporates Biblical truths throughout the book.  From opening the front cover and reading a reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1,11 and ending with Psalm 71:1,3,5 at the rear of the book, the author does a great job of not just throwing random verses in random places, but includes Biblical references in appropriate locations throughout the book. Creation science is highly stressed. Going back to the statement that started By The Way, I had to admit, we really don't include the Bible into much of our day to day goings, beyond our normal Bible time.  So it was really nice to sit with the kids, talking about whales or sunflowers, and reading a verse that referenced God creating whales or about rejoicing in the Lord.  

Currently, there are six books available in the By the Way Book Series.  In addition to the Washington State book, there are also books about Colorado, Ohio, and Pensylvania as well as books that focus on Florida's Treasure Coast and the Smokey Mountians. However, other books in the series are scheduled to be released and include New York, Idaho, Indiana and Ireland.  Additional resources such as posters, trading cards and activity books that accompany each book are also available for purchase on By The Way's website. 

To learn more about the By The Way Book Series, visit them on their website or at their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bythewaybooks/?fref=ts

Members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review their choice of the currently available books.  Be sure to click the banner below to be able to see the other book options and what my fellow crewbie's thought of them.