Product: Book ISBN-10: 0-446-40741-0 ISBN-13: 9780446407410 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Country: Year: September 24, 2008 Size: 14.48 x 21.08 x 2.54cm Number of pages: 288 Weight: 340gr Binding: Hardcover
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.
reviews
Dewey:The Small-Town Library Cat …
This is a must for animal lovers – especially of the feline persuasion.
It is amazing how this one small animal touched so many lives in various ways.
I like the way it pulled a town together in so many ways and overcame the negative attitudes in others.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
Dewey – what a cat! This book is perfect for every cat-lover, every book-lover, every small town appreciator, and, well, everybody with a heart. The author has woven pride of place, history worth preserving, a story of people worth knowing, and of course the life story of one remarkable, adorable, wonderful cat: »Dewey Read More Books«. Everybody I know is getting this book for Christmas this year.
Tearjerker … but completely worth it.
An absolutely beautiful story about a library and it's mascot. Fantastic writing; Vicki Myron completely immerses you into Dewey's story and hers.
After reading, you're gonna want a library cat too!
Fun Summer Read
This is a fun quick beach read for cat lovers. Dewey's story is a heart warming tale. I think Mark Twain said it best when he wrote »If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.« I am sure Twain would have approved of Dewey's library life style.
Only One Story of Many
What do you get when you stick a cat inside a book return?
_Dewey_ is the answer; a cat rudely deposited in a rural library book return who went on to stay at the library for 19 years and touch the lives of most of the people he met.
The book, however, is largely about the author. In this regard, it is similar to the books of Cleveland Amory, which focused as much on the author, in an autobiographical fashion, as on his cat Polar Bear. Some readers may find this interesting, especially those facing similar life events as the author (familial cancer or a loved one's alcoholism, for examples) while others may wonder why the book veers away from its namesake at many turns.
The book as it is perhaps tries to be too many things at once: a memoir about a small farming community, a biography about its library, an autobiography about the author, and a memoir about a library cat. Though it makes sense that the author was a part of Dewey's life, I would have preferred the book as independent stories by chapter, perhaps about some of the many individuals who were touched by Dewey (including the author; unlike some other reviewers, I do believe her story is worth telling), or for the human element to have been removed and for it to be merely the chronological adventures of Dewey. So many stories seem to be missing here or are glossed over about Dewey's life and adventures and the people he met along the way. The stories specifically about Dewey are fun, and there are little inserts (such as his daily schedule) included that bring him to life for those who never met him.
If you have ever been owned by a cat, you'll likely find yourself crying at the end and wanting to give your pet a hug.