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More copies of this ISBN:Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Worldby Vicki Myron
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most. As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history. Review:"One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named DeweyReadmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Through her developing relationship with the feline, Myron recounts the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story — despite an alcoholic husband, living on welfare, and health problems ranging from the difficult birth of her daughter, Jodi, to breast cancer. After her divorce, Myron graduated college (the first in her family) and stumbled into a library job. She quickly rose to become director, realizing early on that this 'was a job I could love for the rest of my life.' Dewey, meanwhile, brings disabled children out of their shells, invites businessmen to pet him with one hand while holding the Wall Street Journal with the other, eats rubber bands and becomes a media darling. The book is not only a tribute to a cat — anthropomorphized to a degree that can strain credulity (Dewey plays hide and seek with Myron, can read her thoughts, is mortified by his hair balls) — it's a love letter to libraries. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"This charming and heartwarming story of an extraordinary feline will be welcomed by cat lovers and all librarians who wish they had a library cat." Library Journal Review:"Intimate portrait of a place snugly set within its historical moment, preserved in Myron's understated, well-polished prose." Kirkus Reviews Review:"Myron's beguiling, poignant, and tender tale of survival, loyalty, and love is an unforgettable study in the mysterious and wondrous ways animals, and libraries, enrich humanity." Booklist Review:"What an extraordinary story of love, courage and devotion. I will not soon forget the good people of Spencer, Iowa and their wonderful library cat. Dewey is truly inspiration for the soul." Jack Canfield, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul Review:"Dewey is charming, lovely, and moving. It's about life and death and small-town values and, above all, love. Norton would have liked Dewey — the cat and the book — immensely." Peter Gethers, author of The Cat Who Went to Paris Review:"Iowa has produced great Hall of Famers, like baseball's Bob Feller. Iowa has now produced a true feline Hall of Famer, a loveable library celebrity named Dewey, who put Spencer, Iowa, on the international map. This book is a purring good read, whether you are a cat lover, or not." Jim Fanning, former Major League Baseball player and manager Review:"The story of Dewey, author Vicki Myron, and Spencer, Iowa, captures what makes small town life worth preserving — a sense of community. Dewey rekindles my belief that one person (together with one cat) can change lives. Vicki gives Spencer's famous library cat a 10th life by writing this engaging biography." Christie Vilsack, former First Lady of Iowa and President of The Vilsack Foundation Review:"I picked this book up dubiously, expecting a big, gooey cinnamon roll of a read....Instead, I made it to the last page and I was crying when I got there....Every town should have a Dewey." Christian Science Monitor Review:"Although a few recent books have made household names out of two canines named Marley and Enzo, it's a pretty safe bet that before long Dewey's fame will have spread further and further abroad and his tale will become legendary for that most unique breed of felines — the library cats." Bookreporter.com About the AuthorVicki Myron was born on a farm fifteen miles from Spencer, Iowa. At the age of thirty-four, after a failed marriage, single motherhood, and a stint on welfare, she graduated summa cum laude from Mankato State University and has a masters degree from Emporia State University.She worked at the Spencer Public Library for twenty-five years, the last twenty as director. She lives in Spencer, Iowa. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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