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Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World | 
| Author: Vicki Myron
Creator: Bret Witter
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.99
You Save: $8.00 (40%)
New (17) Used (5) Collectible (1) from $4.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 20
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1
ISBN: 0446407410
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.80929
EAN: 9780446407410
ASIN: 0446407410
Publication Date: September 24, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
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Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Best Book Of The Year October 12, 2008
I give Dewey, The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World as many stars as in the sky! My favorite book of the year!
Here are 4 things about this book:
1) You will LOVE this book.
2) You will not want to put it down.
3) You will cry a lot!
4) You will never forget it!
That being said, this is a wonderful book. I plan to get this book to have and read it again and again!! This book will touch you like it did me. What a special cat Dewey was and wonderful person Vicki is. Thanks for telling the story, Vicki. I wish I could have met Dewey and pet him!! Treasure and enjoy this book!!
Heartwarming, touching, and uplifting! October 12, 2008
I actually bought this for a friend and ended up keeping it for myself, and getting her another one! This book is wonderful and moving, and was hard to put down!! I fell in love with Dewey. He will be missed by those whose lives he touched, and his spirit and personality will always remain in the Spencer Public Library in Iowa.
 i loved it very much October 12, 2008
Dewey the cat got a bad start in life. Someone with a sick sense of humour stuffed him into a library book drop. Imagine a tiny kitten in a metal box in the middle of an Iowa winter. It's a wonder he didn't freeze to death. Instead he was adopted by kindly librarians and became the heart of the Spencer library. Dewey made friends with the toddlers at story hour, joined meetings, and won the hearts of people who didn't even like cats. And he got famous. It's a lovely story but the book has a few flaws.
As long as Vicky Myron is talking about Dewey it's great. When she gets into her own life she sometimes veers into TMI territory. None of us needed to know about her pitiful ex husband or her tragic brother Dave and she seems to be settling a few scores with people. Luckily the personal chapters are interspaced between the Dewey chapters so you can just skip them.
Sweet, and Thankfully not Sugary Sweet October 9, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Vicki Myron's memoir of her life with Dewey is a nice blend of sentiment, honesty, and belief in how the littlest of things can have a major impact upon the lives of people. At first I thought I was simply going to read a book about a cat, after seeing a CBS Sunday News Morning special. It seemed like the type of fluffy read that I would be interested in, especially since I was able to acquire it that day.
However, Myron was able to mingle in her personal familial tragedies, the history of Spencer, along with Dewey's significance to her and the rest of Spencer. The beginning is a bit shaky and the shifts from Dewey anecdotes to the specific historical landmarks in Spencer is a bit jarring. It felt as if there was a struggle for Myron to find her own voice with the help of Bret Witter, who co-authored the book.
Eventually, Myron's voice is discovered and what a reader most appreciates about Myron is her candor about Dewey. Though it is obvious that she is infatuated with Dewey, she did present a balanced portrayal of Dewey, acknowledging that not everyone was taken over by this library cat.
It's that type of refreshing honesty that allows the reader to take the claims of Dewey's impact more seriously. Had she just written a book praising Dewey swearing that everyone wanted him from beginning to end, the book would have rung as false.
More telling is the personal information she reveals and how she shares it with the reader. She's guarded about one topic in particular, but you get the sense that had it not been for Dewey's companionship, she would have not survived her personal ordeals.
This book, though an easy read, is perfect for the person who wants to read a poignant and sweet tale about the bond between human and animal. Though the transitions between Dewey and other information is not as smooth as I would have preferred, the overall theme and message made up for the lack of finesse.
3.5 out of 5 stars
However, the cat lover in me gives this a 4.5. (Blame the 4.5 on Oreo. I don't think my cat would appreciate me loving another cat more than him.)
RRRROOOOWWW!!! October 9, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What a SWEET kitty! What a wonderful story, or should I say, stories. The Mommy-cat (owner), the library, the town, they all come together thanks to this little CAT. Some of the posters did not care for the personal stories, but I think it gives a complete picture of the life of this cat and the goodwill he passed along.
Spencer, Iowa. Never been there, possibly never will. It is not Paris, not Disneyland, just Spencer, Iowa, home of this sweet little kitty. Great gift for a cat or animal lover. If you are a cat person yourself, this is a good gift for you, too.
Long live the story of Dewey!
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