Hidden Systems
Hidden Systems uses graphic storytelling to unpack the infrastructure teens rely on daily—electricity, water, and internet—while exploring the science, history, and equity behind the systems shaping our world.
$23.99
Quantity:
2026 Twelfth-Grade Curriculum Kit
Your teen uses electricity, water, and the internet every day—but how often does he stop to consider how those systems actually work? Hidden Systems explores the history, design, and future of the infrastructure that unobtrusively powers daily life, covering everything from water systems and fiber optics to the electric grid through graphic-novel storytelling and detailed illustrations.
Along the way, students examine how these systems developed, how they changed over time, and how access, design choices, and historical decisions continue to shape the world today.
Because the book combines engineering, history, environmental topics, and social considerations, it naturally encourages students to think beyond simply how systems function and begin asking why they were built the way they were.
This National Book Award Longlist title also earned recognition from the NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book list and the New York Public Library’s Teen Books list for making complex systems approachable without oversimplifying them. Students interested in engineering, technology, infrastructure, or simply understanding how everyday systems work will find plenty to explore here.
Note: Includes evolutionary content. Parents may wish to preview before use.
How to Use Hidden Systems as Part of Your Homeschool Curriculum
- Many families find that reading 7–8 pages per week creates a manageable pace that allows students to finish the book during a typical school year without turning it into another heavy assignment.
- As your teen reads, expect conversations about topics like internet access, water systems, electricity, infrastructure, environmental concerns, and how communities build and maintain essential services. This is the kind of book that naturally leads students to notice the systems around them.
Parents should know the book includes brief references to evolution and may wish to preview those sections before use.
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Author: Dan Nott
Illustrator:Dan Nott
Age Recommendation: 12-18 years
Grade Recommendation: 6th-12th
Faith-Based: No
Consumable: No
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9780593125366
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Size: 6 x 9
Copyright: Mar 14, 2023
SELECTION 2024: NSTA-CBC – Outstanding Science Trade BookSELECTION: New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
HONOR 2023: NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
AWARD: National Book Awards
“A necessary introductory approach to everyday systems that briefly interrogates the bias and inequalities imbedded within them.” — Publishers Weekly
“Performs a valuable service.”— Kirkus Reviews
“The true power of comics is on display here, with complex, difficult-to-comprehend structures presented both through a variety of metaphors and by placing those metaphors in context with simplified renditions of their real physical appearance.” — Booklist, starred review
“Hidden Systems is the book I’ll use to teach my kids how the internet works….incredibly readable.” — The Verge
“Hidden Systems tackles three broad categories and breaks them down into bite-sized pieces using simple text and engaging images to make them easier to digest.” Read the Review
The Art Kit:
“How do water, electricity, and the internet work? When were they built? And why? If you’ve ever pondered these questions, you’ll love Hidden Systems!” Read the Review
Cummins Life:
“A hidden system is one that powers our everyday life but is something we rarely think about unless it fails. This book explores 3 main hidden systems: the internet, electricity and water. Nott's comic illustrations are truly masterful at breaking down large systems into smaller pieces emphasizing how we think about concepts, how they work, the history behind them and even the imagined future possibilities.” Read the Review
Roads to Everywhere:
“The graphic novel format works well for explaining the intricacies of the Hidden Systems that we take for granted in our daily lives. The detailed drawings with small bits of text help explain these systems in a simplified way.” Read the Review
Homeschool Happenings:
“Have you ever wondered how electricity powers our world? Where do we get fresh water from? Can you explain what cyberspace is? Hidden Systems answers all of these questions and more.” Read the Review
Schoolin’ Swag:
“This delightfully illustrated graphic novel goes into great detail about the Internet, the power grid, and the water system.” Read the Review
Little Learner and Mom:
“What if you could introduce the world's systems to your student through a graphic novel? If your student is a graphic novel lover or just loves to ask questions about how things work, this review is perfect for you. ” Read the Review
Making Everyday Magic:
- January 23, 2025
disappointed
Darla
Now that I am on this site, I see the comment about the evolutionary assumptions. I am disappointed it was included in the religious kit. I would never have bought it on its own. My daughter did not feel like she learned anything new or interesting from the book to outweigh all of the evolution talk.
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