By Tori Hamilton, Children's Library Associate, Glenpool Library

You've finally convinced your school-aged child to read, they've found a series they enjoy, and they're ready to plow through the whole thing. Hooray!

But then! Tragedy!

"Teacher says I have to read a nonfiction book. But nonfiction is boring!"

Oh, no! What will you do?

You'll save the day, that's what! Hit up your nearest Tulsa City-County Library branch and ask for the kids' nonfiction section. When you get there, just use the Dewey Decimal System (which organizes nonfiction books by assigning numbers to each topic) to find the interesting stuff! Here are some great Dewey numbers to get you started:

  • 636, Animal Husbandry - Oh, crikey! (Say it in your best Steve Irwin voice.) Is this librarian really recomminding books on animal husbandry? Not really. Most of the books in this section cover various domesticated animals, including cats, dogs, and other popular house pets. Check out a book on keeping fish, raising a parrot, or the care and feeding of iguanas.
  • 629, Various Branches of Engineering - This is where you'll find cars and trucks and things that go (and I'm talking about the classic picture book by that name from Richard Scarry's Busytown). Race cars, rocket ships, muscle cars, and monster trucks - they're all here under 629!
  • 520s, Astronomy - Dust off that old telescope from the attic and get some use out of it! Let the books from the 520s tell you how! Learn about stars and constellations, planets, and the phases of the moon.
  • 910, Geography and Travel - Yes, there are travel books here, but we're not talking about those. Do you know who liked to travel? Pirates! Find books on famous pirates, pirate treasure, and life on a pirate ship.
  • 932, Ancient Egypt - While books on modern Egypt are under 962, ancient Egypt gets its own category under 932, and it's one of the most popular topics among the elementary and middle school crowd. Maybe it's the pyramids, maybe it's the fascinating customs... or maybe it's the mummies. Yeah, it's probably the mummies.
  • 940, History of Europe - If your family enjoys the Oklahoma Renaissance Fair, you'll probably enjoy the books found in the 940s. Here, you'll find books about knights and their customs, medieval history, and life in a castle.
  • 551, Geology, Hydrology, and Meteorology - Sounds stuffy, but this is where we keep all the books about extreme weather such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. There's nothing boring about the awesome power of these super storms and natural disasters. If your child already enjoys the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis, this is a great place to get started on nonfiction!

Reading nonfiction doesn't have to be painful, and it definitely doesn't have to be boring! Whatever your child's preferences are, we can surely find a nonfiction book they'll enjoy. Just ask your local library, "What the Dewey number for that?" and we'll hook you up!