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eBook editions

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

by Vicki Myron

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World Cover

ISBN13: 9780446407410
ISBN10: 0446407410
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher 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 Author

Vicki 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 Saying

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Average customer rating based on 10 comments:

techeditor, October 27, 2011 (view all comments by techeditor)
DEWEY: THE SMALL-TOWN LIBRARY CAT WHO TOUCHED THE WORLD by Vicki Myron, Bret Witter (Contributor), was published in 2008. Obviously, I didn’t read it right away. That’s because I was afraid it would be a tear jerker. But the cover picture of that cat finally proved irresistible when I found the book at a used book sale. I read it, and I loved it.

If you like cats, you’ll love this book, too. And there’s enough description of library work that librarians would also enjoy this book, regardless of how they feel about cats. But a librarian who is also a cat owner absolutely should not miss DEWEY.

Some of DEWEY is funny, all of it is touching. But it’s more than a MARLEY-type book, with descriptions of crazy incidents.

DEWEY begins with a book depository. That’s where Vicki Myron, the director of the Spencer, Iowa, Library, finds the 8-week-old kitten one freezing cold morning. He was near frozen to death, and his paws were frostbitten. But he loved her and everyone else who would hold him immediately. And all the librarians there loved him back. So, of course, they kept him.

And now you might expect the remainder of the book to describe cat antics. But Myron actually tells us how Dewey helped so many people on a daily basis, truly helped them. He even improved the library. And it even may not be a stretch to say that he gave some status to the small town of Spencer, Iowa. Sure, cat antics are in there, but they’re part of the stories of a cat who loved everyone and helped the lives of so many.

I highly recommend this book. It’s just as good today as it was in 2008 when it was getting so much publicity.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
Jena, June 20, 2010 (view all comments by Jena)
This is a book for cat-lovers and supporters of libraries. It made me wish our library had a cat. Myron spends a little more time than I'd have liked (coming from a small farming community myself) detailing life in Spencer, Iowa, past and present; also, the language of the telling gets a little redundant. But this isn't supposed to be a literary masterpiece; it's a work of love for Dewey and Spencer, Iowa, and as such, it accomplishes its purpose admirably.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
Jennmarie68, March 11, 2010 (view all comments by Jennmarie68)
I think this was a very good book. It not only is a story about a cat, but a story about a small town. I think that the stories about Dewey interacting with people and how he seemed to always know what people needed from him were great. I am an animal lover and I think that cats are more perceptive to people's emotions than most dogs are, however I think Dewey had an even more keen sense into people.

I think the story was what held the book together for me. Everything was written well but it seemed like it jumped around a lot. She would repeat things that she had already mentioned before, as if you were just tuning into a documentary and it was giving you a recap.

I think that the author did a fairly good job at telling Dewey's story as well as giving us insight into her life. That is was makes the story of Dewey so exceptional, we see what the author was going through and then we get to see how Dewey adapted to the changes in the author's life.

Good book!
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View all 10 comments

Product Details

ISBN:
9780446407410
Author:
Myron, Vicki
Publisher:
Grand Central Publishing
With:
Witter, Bret
Author:
Witter, Bret
Author:
Myron, Vicky
Subject:
Cats
Subject:
Iowa
Subject:
Cats - General
Subject:
General
Subject:
Essays
Subject:
Spencer
Subject:
Dewey (Cat)
Subject:
Cats - Iowa - Spencer
Subject:
PETS / General
Copyright:
Publication Date:
20080931
Binding:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
277
Dimensions:
8.52x5.82x.98 in. .91 lbs.

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Related Aisles

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$4.50 In Stock
Product details 277 pages Grand Central Publishing - English 9780446407410 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "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" by , "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."
"Review" by , "Intimate portrait of a place snugly set within its historical moment, preserved in Myron's understated, well-polished prose."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
"Review" by , "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."
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