Kid’s Books Found in the 400s

With a new month, it’s time to start a new series of blog posts! This time we’re going to take a closer look at the Dewey Decimal System. For each class of numbers, I’ll share twelve specific titles for kids that you might find in that class. Before we get started, let me share a little information about the Dewey Decimal System and then we can dig in!

The Dewey Decimal System, created by Melvil Dewey in 1876 was created to organize books based on discipline and subject. The system is broken down into ten classes, each divided into ten divisions, and each of those divided into ten sections. Each subject matter has a three-digit that explains where it belongs with the option to include decimal places to further divide the section. For example, a cookbook is found in:

• 600 – Technology
  • 640 – Home economics and family management
    • 641 – Food and drink
      • 641.5 – Cooking and cookbooks

While the system has been updated through the years, criticism remains as the Dewey Decimal System is extremely Eurocentric and treatment of women, people of color, and other minorities continues to need updates (which can take years). Some public libraries have even abandoned the Dewey Decimal System in favor of other systems that either make more sense for their communities or systems that are better balanced.

It’s time for the 400s to shine! This section is focused on languages and linguistics so whether you’re looking to learn a new language or brushing up on your first language you’ll find some amazing resources here. You’ll also find dictionaries and thesauri for a wide age range – from illustrated books for yound children to school-age dictionaries with more text than images. And if you’ve got a kid who’s having a little difficulty figuring out grammar rules, than you’ll definitely want to find books about nouns and verbs, commas, and other useful resources. And finally, some libraries may have their world languages section in the 400s as well! We had so many world language titles in my library that we pulled them out to create their very own collection, but you’ll often find language materials in other languages in the 400s as well.

The next time you stop at your local public library, swing by the nonfiction section and take a look at what you might find in the 400s! And at home, you can check out LibraryThing’s MDS – you can click on each class and see how things are organized at each level.

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Kid’s Books Found in the 400s

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! by Lynne Truss, illustrated by Bonnie Timmons

Illuminating the comical confusion the lowly comma can cause, this new edition of Eats, Shoots & Leaves uses lively, subversive illustrations to show how misplacing or leaving out a comma can change the meaning of a sentence completely. You might want to eat a huge hot dog, but a huge, hot dog would run away pretty quickly if you tried to take a bite out of him. And a sign saying “Eat here and get gas” would hint at a very different odor than “Eat here, and get gas.”

This picture book is sure to elicit gales of laughter—and better punctuation—from all who read it.

Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts In One Big Fat Notebook by Workman Publishing

With chapters on all the essential ELA topics—grammar, sentence structure, figurative language, textual analysis, writing essays, building arguments, and more—it covers every skill a middle schooler needs to read, write, and analyze their way through middle school English. Big Fat Notebooks break down the big topics into bite sized pieces with clear and accessible language, key vocabulary defined, annotated examples and excerpts from a diverse array of literature, and instructional diagrams and doodles.

First Children’s Dictionary by DK

With more than 4,000 entries, this updated edition of First Children’s Dictionary is an ideal reference book for children five and older that will soon have kids expressing their thoughts in wonderful new ways.

Designed with age-appropriate text and highly visual pages featuring more than 800 images, this dictionary is accessible and will not intimidate readers. Definitions are written in full sentences, helping children learn how to write correctly, and example sentences illustrate use and meaning. Opposites are included, themed feature pages highlight related words, and spelling and writing tips at the back of the book give children even further insight into the art of using words.

Grammar Girl Presents: The Ultimate Writing Guide for Students by Mignon Fogarty, illustrated by Erwin Haya

For beginners to more advanced students, this guide covers it all: parts of speech, sentences, and punctuation are all explained clearly and concisely in Grammar Girl’s humorous and accessible style. Pop quizzes are scattered throughout to reinforce the explanations, as are Grammar Girl’s trademark Quick and Dirty Tips—easy and fun memory tricks to help with those challenging rules.

Complete with a writing style chapter, this guide is sure to become the one-stop, essential book on every student’s desk. And with timely updates to the content throughout, this edition remains the definitive student writing guide.

King Sejong Invents an Alphabet by Carol Kim, illustrated by Cindy Kang

In 15th-century Korea, King Sejong was distressed. The complicated Chinese characters used for reading and writing meant only rich, educated people could read―and that was just the way they wanted it. But King Sejong thought all Koreans should be able to read and write, so he worked in secret for years to create a new Korean alphabet. King Sejong’s strong leadership and determination to bring equality to his country make his 600-year-old story as relevant as ever.

Merriam-Webster’s Elementary Dictionary

This newly revised dictionary provides the guideposts that children need to build vocabulary, comprehend spelling, and better understand the world around them.

• Discover the meanings of over 37,000 words and phrases including newly added words across a variety of fields including emoji, GIF, toggle, and vegan.
• 900 full-color illustrations, photographs, and diagrams will fascinate young readers and improve their understanding of concepts.
• Entries―with easy-to-understand definitions―are enriched with nearly 1,300 quotes from over 100 works of popular and classic children’s literature including The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon, The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes, and I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted.
• Word history, word root, and synonym paragraphs help students build vocabulary.
• Sounds paragraphs discussing the sounds each letter makes improve reading and spelling skills.

Merriam-Webster’s Intermediate Thesaurus

Written especially for middle schoolers, this thesaurus is a perfect resource for any kid who loves to read and write. With over 150,000 word choices, Merriam-Webster’s Intermediate Thesaurus is a great tool for building vocabulary, fostering communication skills, and helping with homework.

• 19,000 main entries with statements describing the meaning shared by the synonyms provided.
• Nearly 28,000 synonyms; over 71,000 related words; over 8,000 antonyms; and over 30,000 near antonyms provided.
• Many entries contain multiple senses, each with a definition and usage example.
• Over 32,000 usage examples.
• Newly added vocabulary that pays particular attention to this age group in the areas of social media, technology, and entertainment.

A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? by Brian P. Cleary, ilustrated by Jenya Prosmitsk

It’s easier to show than explain―and this book is brimming with examples. Author Brian Cleary and illustrator Jenya Prosmitsky creatively clarify the concept of nouns for young readers. Nouns are printed in color for easy identification, and the playful rhymes and illustrations combine to highlight key words.

My First 1,000 English-Español Words

An excellent English-Spanish bilingual book to introduce wide range of learning topics and everyday objects to the little scholars. The book has 1000 attractive and well-researched photos making it the ideal book for toddlers and babies to learn simple words and develop observational skills.

Vibrant pictures and accurate word labels encourage the child to build a robust vocabulary in a very short time. Topics include English alphabet, Spanish alphabet, numbers, shapes and colours, opposites, modes of transport, birds, animals, professions, baby objects, toys, things at home, action words, parts of the body.

100 Words from the Street by Sesame Workshop and Erin Guendelsberger, illustrated by Barry Goldberg

Come along with Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and more of the Sesame Street friends on a journey through over 100 meaningful words that highlight the important lessons the world-renowned children’s education brand, Sesame Workshop, has been teaching for over five decades – how to be smarter, stronger, and kinder. Words, definitions, examples, and sweet illustrations of the beloved Sesame Street characters are brought together for a one-of-a-kind experience to learn from, delight in, and treasure for a lifetime.

Spelling Rules by Ann Heinrichs

Weekly quizzes or the annual spelling bee can instill a sense of dread in most students. But, Spelling Rules makes this often tricky subject easy and fun. Simple strategies and effective examples help kids comprehend when and why words are spelled the way they are. Additional features to aid comprehension include colorful photos, a table of contents, sources for further research including websites, information about the author, activities for further learning, and an index.

WXYZ Children‘s Dictionary by Martin Manser

Here’s a handy guide for young children and students to help with their first steps through the English language. This dictionary serves as a helpful tool for all young learners, and contains more than three thousand words, pictures, and definitions to create a comprehensive reference.

An easy-to-understand glossary, it explains meanings and functions of words that children are likely to come across in their daily interactions with the world around them. With its vivid, colorful pictures, the dictionary will also prove visually appealing to readers.