HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Ohio’s Bicentennial Barns: A Collection of the Historic Barns Celebrating Ohio’s Bicentennial
Author: Beth Gorczyca
Illustrator: B. Miller (Photographer)
Publisher: Wooster Book Co., 2003
ISBN-13: 978-1590988039
ISBN-10: 1590988035
Related website(s): http://www.woosterbook.com (publisher)
Language level: 1
(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing and/or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)
Recommended reading level: Suitable for all
Rating: ***** 5 stars
(5 stars=EXCELLENT; 4 stars=GOOD; 3 stars=FAIR; 2 stars=POOR; 1 star=VERY POOR; no stars=NOT RECOMMENDED)
Category: Youth non-fiction
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Disclosure: Many publishers, literary agents, and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion. Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.
For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com
Website: https://homeschoolbookreviewblog.wordpress.com
Gorczyca, Beth. Ohio’s Bicentennial Barns: A Collection of the Historic Barns Celebrating Ohio’s Bicentennial (Published in 2003 by The Wooster Book Company, 205 W. Liberty St., Wooster, OH 44691). Ohio became a state in 1803. The Ohio Bicentennial barn-painting program was an inexpensive, grassroots marketing campaign that painted the official logo of the Ohio Bicentennial on a highly visible historic barn in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. Over 2,000 farmers and landowners submitted their barn descriptions to the committee for consideration. Beginning in 1998, artist Scott Hagan, then just nineteen, spent five years painting the logos, tailored to every barn’s unique character. Typically, the barn owners hosted a celebration at the completion of their barn painting.
Gorczyca and Miller, who has an eye for perfection in composition, resolution, and color, have done a spectacular job of presenting a beautifully-written and nicely photographed record of these bicentennial barns. This amazing book gives all the locations and good details about each barn. The barns, majestically painted by Mr. Hagan are presented artistically, one county at a time, with each barn’s description on one page and its photo on the opposing page. The technique of keeping the image on one page prevents the spine from interfering with the reader’s thorough enjoyment of the barns. Avid barn collectors will especially enjoy the volume, which makes a good coffee table read or a great gift.
