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Non-fiction

Explore our extensive children's non-fiction collection to discover your next hobby, passion, or interest.

Rows of books arranged spine-out on a shelf, separated by yellow shelf-dividers with different Dewey decimal numbers on them.

The children's non-fiction collection contains factual books covering a wide range of subjects. Packed full of information for activities, homework, or projects, these topics are organised using the Dewey Decimal Classification system, or DDC for short.

The DDC uses special numbers called Call Numbers to help the librarians decide how to organise the books on the shelf, and to help you find the books you are interested in. There are a couple of rules to learn about these numbers:

  • Books that have the same number are about the same subject. For example, two books with the call number 567.9 will both be about dinosaurs. They will also be right next to each other on the shelf, so if you like dinosaurs, it will be easy to find all the books we have about that topic.
  • Books with similar numbers are usually about similar subjects. For example, a book with the number 636.7 will be about pet dogs, whereas a book with the number 636.8 will be about pet cats. These books will be close to each other on the shelf, but not necessarily right next to each other.
  • Books with totally different numbers are usually about totally different subjects. For example, a book with the number 005.1 will be about coding, whereas a book with the number 938 will be about Ancient Greece. These books will usually be on completely different shelves.

Check out our helpful Dewey Decimal System guide to learn more about how to find books on the topics you are most interested in.

Our librarians often make special displays in the non-fiction section, like this one celebrating World Refugee Week at Te Māhanga | Karori Library

New children's non-fiction