Do You Know Dewey?: Exploring the Dewey Decimal System

K-Gr 2—In this brief overview, Cleary's descriptions of each section of the Dewey decimal system are reasonably accurate. A minor quibble would be a book on Harry Houdini appearing in the 100's. Books on the occult belong there, and Houdini devoted a great deal of time and energy to debunking the Spiritualism movement of his time with its fraudulent mediums and séances. A more serious problem with the book is the text's strained verse. The rhyming couplets are rarely actual couplets as the first part of a second set is usually a continuation of the previous couplet's second sentence. "For instance, if you're searching for a book all by yourself/about the Internet, you wouldn't look on every shelf." The frequency of this practice makes for a choppy flow. Still, Lew-Vriethoff's watercolor illustrations picture vital, energetic libraries where children and adults are obviously happily engrossed in books and reading. A serviceable introduction to Dewey, but an additional purchase.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ