Kid’s Books Found in the 900s
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
- 641 – Food and drink
- 640 – Home economics and family management
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.
Alright, we’ve made it all the way to the 900s! The 900s is pretty much everything else… the history of the world, geography, and travel, all rolled up in the last section of the Dewey Decimal System. This section is a great place for kids to hang out when looking for significant historical events and the little known things that made the world the way it is now. This is also a great section for kids learning about the geography of the planet or those kids who are planning to do some traveling, both are areas where you’ll learn about the world around you. There are hundreds of amazing history books written for children, I tried to include just a handful of newer titles here to get a sampling of what’s available. This is definitely a large section of the Dewey Decimal System and one that you don’t want to miss! And speaking of missing, make sure to check out each class with a blog post and book list that I’ve created over the past few weeks!
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 900s! 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.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure for more information.
Kid’s Books Found in the 900s
The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming
“You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days time….That is all you need to know.” This was the terse telegram hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke―these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions.
Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking Nazi missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most importantly: know how to keep a secret.
50 True Tales from Our Great National Parks by Stephanie Pearson, illustrated by Madeline Kloepper
This gift treasury collection gathers real-life stories from parks across the USA, including Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Hawaii Volcanoes, Denali, Everglades, and many, many more.
Some tell human tales of triumph, bravery, and feats of endurance and moments of dazzling discovery.
Others are tales of remarkable animals, magnificent plants, outstanding natural features.
Some explore the past, telling how certain parks came to be and their impacts both good and bad, while others recount recent events such as inspiring stories of conservation and nature and communities bouncing back.
Each story is linked to a particular park, telling the tale of an animal or plant, community or individual, or event. These stories grant readers a new way to explore these awe-inspiring places.
Good Night Stories from Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers
Readers will celebrate well-known women, like Greta Thunberg, Bethany Hamilton, Bindi Irwin, Zendaya, and the Linda Lindas, and meet up-and-coming powerhouses like inventor Vinisha Umashankar, fashion designer Marine Serre, stuntwoman Sadiqua Bynum, filmmaker Taegen Yardley, poet Alexandra Huynh, and environmental activist Helena Gualinga.
The girls and women in the book come from different countries and backgrounds and have a wide array of interests and accomplishments. Barrier-breaking performer Keke Palmer became the youngest talk show host in US history. Entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer founded a lemonade company to help save honeybees. Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal turned a hobby into an Olympic dream. And British body positivity advocate Megan Jayne Crabbe and Indigenous artist Te Manaia Jennings inspire kids to keep their minds healthy.
Each story is told in the whimsical fairy tale style that has made the series a success and is paired with a bold, full-page portrait. With a foreword by conservationist and TV personality Bindi Irwin, the book features the work of authors, artists, and editors aged 30 and under. In addition to showcasing the stories of incredible young people, more than 60 young female or nonbinary artists from all over the world contributed original artwork to the book.
Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe by Steve Sheinkin
It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up his mind. After barely surviving nearly two years in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, he knows he must escape. Even if death is more likely.
Rudi has learned the terrible secret hidden behind the heavily guarded fences of concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe: the methodical mass killing of Jewish prisoners. As trains full of people arrive daily, Rudi knows that the murders won’t stop until he reveals the truth to the world―and that each day that passes means more lives are lost.
Lives like Rudi’s schoolmate Gerta Sidonová. Gerta’s family fled from Slovakia to Hungary, where they live under assumed names to hide their Jewish identity. But Hungary is beginning to cave under pressure from German Nazis. Her chances of survival become slimmer by the day.
The clock is ticking. As Gerta inches closer to capture, Rudi and his friend Alfred Wetzler begin their crucial steps towards an impossible escape.
This is the true story of one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, and how his death-defying escape helped save over 100,000 lives.
The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
It’s 1943. Nazi Germany and its Axis power allies are ravaging Europe and the Pacific with a terrible war. At this juncture, President Franklin Roosevelt has one critical goal: a face-to-face meeting with his allies, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill.
The first ever meeting of the “Big Three” is set to take place in Tehran, Iran, where the leaders of the three great superpowers will discuss and decide on some of the most crucial strategic details of the war.
But when the Nazis learn about the meeting, they form their own secret, deadly plan: an assassination plot that would forever change history…if they’re successful.
This riveting true story, filled with daring rescues and high stakes intrigue, explains how this pivotal meeting in Tehran changed the course of World War II, and how the Nazi conspiracy to assassinate the Allied leaders nearly led to world-shattering disaster.
Rise and Fall: Great Empires That Shaped the World by Peter Allen
You may know of the Vikings and the Aztecs, but what about Benin, Kamakura, Achaemenid, and Ayutthaya? This captivating collection of histories uncovers the secrets behind ten of the world’s greatest empires.
With fascinating stories to tell of power-hungry leaders, incredible riches, and legendary battles, Rise and Fall reveals why each empire rose to power, what life was like, and what led to their eventual downfall. Not forgotten are the legacies―and lessons―they left behind for us.
Stuff Kids Should Know: The Mind-Blowing Histories of (Almost) Everything by Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark, with Nils Parker
You know the deal. There’s Language Arts, Math, Science and History. You have the color-coded folders and notebooks; you know the material. The classic subjects. But why isn’t there a Stuff That Knocks Your Socks Off class, or Random Facts To Rock Your World?
Well, luckily, with Stuff Kids Should Know, an incomplete compendium of only the most interesting topics, you will find fascinating stories and facts that will melt your mind! From demolition derbies to Mr. Potato Head to the history of facial hair, this book is full of funny, surprising information that sparks curiosity and reveals the magic of knowledge.
For Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, the founders of the massively popular podcast Stuff You Should Know, the everyday world can be extraordinary when you dig a little deeper into the “whys” and the “hows”. With plenty of clever insights, silly illustrations, and an array of topics, this book digs deeper into stuff we all wish we knew more about. After all, who thought a rock would be a good idea for a pet? Well, let’s find out…
Treasure Thieves on the the High Seas: Pirates, Privateers, and Buccaneers by Roxie Munro
Did pirates really have peg legs? Did they make captives and disobedient crew “walk the plank?” What treasures did they actually steal? Were there toilets onboard ships? Nonfiction pro Roxie Munro has the answers to kids’ questions about the real-life pirates kids love!
In this historical and scientifically-oriented approach to a popular topic, Munro invites young readers aboard to sail the seven seas with pirates of legend—Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and more! Beyond meeting the fascinating fiends of the open ocean (like the infamous Blackbeard, who relied on the power of intimidation, and Grace O’Malley, the “Pirate Queen”), readers will sail full STEAM ahead as they learn about navigation technology, the environment, economics, geology, architecture, and more.
When Paul Revere Rode: Voices from the First Night of the American Revolution by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Nik Henderson
Here is the thrilling account of Paul Revere’s midnight ride to warn colonists in the towns of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, that the British were coming. Brief narrative text and poems written from the point of view of ordinary people who took part in this historic event make this a unique picture book. Readers will meet:
- the stable boy who raced to Paul Revere to deliver the news that the British soldiers were ready to march
- a woman who told British soldiers pounding on her door that she was merely preparing a cup of tea for her husband, when in fact they were melting pewter spoons into bullets
- an enslaved man who was woken in the middle of the night to alert the Lincoln blacksmith that the British soldiers were marching
- and many more, including one poem in the voice of Paul Revere himself
Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare by Andrea Balis and Elizabeth Levy, illustrated by Tim Foley
At the cusp of the Cold War, Americans were so afraid of communists living among them that they began to hunt them like witches. As Senator Joe McCarthy took up this mantle to hunt down “communists” in the US, citizens grew terrified of being accused, so they turned on each other – pointing fingers at neighbors, friends, and even family.
Told through a unique and inviting screenplay-format, brought to life with dozens of illustrations by Tim Foley, and comprised almost entirely of quotes derived from primary sources, Witch Hunt recounts the political craze that gripped America during the Red Scare when McCarthyism forced people to go to extraordinary lengths to keep themselves and their families safe from persecution against their own government.
National Geographic Kids World Atlas
Learn all about the people, places, trends, and new developments in our world with the completely updated maps, stats, graphics, and fun facts in the National Geographic Kids World Atlas, 7th edition—an unparalleled resource for every home, classroom, and library.
This new edition includes:
- New maps and facts about internet access around the globe
- A new feature on Earth’s fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean
- Colorful photographs showcasing the beauty and diversity of our planet
Count on National Geographic to give curious kids, map-lovers, and students the very best atlas of the world!
You Were Made for This World: Celebrated Indigenous Voices Speak to Young People by Stephanie Sinclair and Sara Sinclair
Every young person deserves the chance to feel like they belong, that they are recognized, that they matter. In the spirit of A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, You Were Made for This World brings together forty Indigenous writers, artists, activists, athletes, scholars and thinkers with a joint purpose: to celebrate the potential of young people, to share a sense of joy and pride in language, traditional and personal stories and teachings, and shared experiences, and to honor young people for who they are and what they dream of.
Including contributions from activist Autumn Peltier, singer/songwriter Tanya Tagaq, hockey player Ethan Bear, Governor General’s Award–winning author David A. Robertson, artists Chief Lady Bird and Christi Belcourt, illustrator Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, and dozens of others, this beautifully collaborative collection urges readers to think about who they are, where they come from and where they’re going, with a warm familiarity that will inspire you to see yourself and your community with proud eyes.
