Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World [Abridged] [Audio CD]

Vicki Myron (Author), Suzanne Toren (Reader), Bret Witter (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2008

DEWEY is the heartwarming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa, as told by his owner and companion of nineteen years, Vicki Myron, the librarian who found him on a frigid January morning when he was abandoned as a kitten in the book drop slot. It is also the story of a remarkable small town, which burned down at the beginning of the Depression, only to rebuild itself, and which was almost shuttered during the farm crisis of the 1980s, before regrouping and rededicating itself to small town American values. Dewey's local charm and worldwide fame became a symbol of hope for this recovering town. Through Dewey's antics, we come to know and love many of the colorful and inspiring people of Spencer. But perhaps the most inspiring person in Spencer is Vicki Myron herself, a single mother who survived the bankruptcy of her family farm and working in a box factory to put two of her brothers through college to become one of the leaders of the Iowa library system. Dewey is one lovable, roguish cat who managed to transform an entire town and inspire people across the globe. (2008)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a world where a bad dog topped bestseller lists for years, it's inevitable that a library cat would soon make a bid to win the hearts of a nation. According to Mayron, this has already happened. Dewey is not bad, just occasionally mischievous enough to provide opportunities for the narrator to coo. Suzanne Toren wholeheartedly devotes herself to the first-person account of the author's travels with Dewey and only occasionally meanders into the sugar bowl. Dewey's story is a testament to how something small with a big heart can have an incalculable effect on a community. Anyone with at least one cat is guaranteed to get a lump in his or her throat as the orange fluff-ball connects with a severely disabled girl in one particularly affecting scene, memorably brought to life by Toren in her librarian persona. A Grand Central hardcover (Reviews, July 28). (Sept.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Her first thought upon hearing a strange sound coming from the book drop one frigid January morning was “this can’t be good.” In fact, for both the tiny kitten found shivering in the metal box’s corner and for Myron, director of the Spencer Public Library, the discovery was the best thing that ever happened to either of them, and to the tiny Iowa farming community beset by an unrelenting string of economic challenges. Filthy and frostbitten, the kitten was in dire need of massive doses of TLC; fortunately, the library staff, patrons, and townspeople had plenty to spare. The story of how a bedraggled orange fur ball became “Dewey Readmore Books,” an enchantingly irresistible library mascot capable of bringing international attention to a small midwestern town and melting the heart of even the most curmudgeonly visitor, is uplifting enough; but woven among the cute-cat anecdotes are Myron’s own inspirational stories of enduring welfare, the abuses of an alcoholic husband, breast cancer, and single motherhood. 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. --Carol Haggas --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (September 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600243827
• ISBN-13: 978-1600243820
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 5.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (637 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

354 of 383 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HAPPY, HEARTWARMING, AND HOPEFUL, September 17, 2008

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (Hardcover)

Remember Marley: A Dog Like No Other, a canine greatly loved by his master? Well, here is Dewey, an abandoned orange kitten not only beloved by his mistress but by the entire town of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's origins were questionable as was his introduction to library director Vicki Myron. January 18, 1988 was a frigid Monday in Spencer. "It was a killing freeze, the kind that made it almost painful to breathe." When Vicki arrived at the library that morning her assistant told her she had heard a noise coming from a metal slot, the library's after-hours drop box behind the building. Soon, they both heard the noise and thought it was an animal. The opening of the box was only a few inches wide, so whatever it was had to be very small. Being metal the box was even colder than it was outside, and there in a corner of the box was a tiny kitten.

It was the most pitiful thing she had ever seen, so thin she could see every rib, and she could feel its heart beating, its lungs pumping. "The poor kitten was so weak it could barely hold up its head, and it was shaking uncontrollably. It opened its mouth, but the sound which came two seconds later, was weak and ragged." But one look into his big eyes and she was Dewey's and he was hers.

Dewey was not the only one who had endured hardship - Vicki was a single mom who had lost the family farm and survived an abusive husband. The people of Spencer were going through tough times during the farm crisis of that time. Depression, ennui seemed to be everywhere.

Nonetheless, Vicki was determined to capture the interest of those who came to the small library and hopefully make them a little happier. With the help of Dewey she did that and more. For 19 years he returned the affection of the townspeople twofold, amusing them, enchanting them, rubbing against many hands in gratitude for their caresses.

What difference can one small animal make? Dewey's story spread across state lines and even around the world. In 2003 Japanese Public Television filmed Dewey, and his obituary ran in well over 200 newspapers. His story will warm your hearts, make you laugh and cry. Don't miss it.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Cat, Good Humans, October 20, 2008

By 

R. Hardy "Rob Hardy" (Columbus, Mississippi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (Hardcover)

Dog lovers who are also readers have had some good books to get through in the past couple of years, like _Marley and Me_ or _From Baghdad with Love_. If they really wanted to read a classic, there was always _My Dog Skip_. Cat people may now rejoice, as may anyone who has an interest in pets, or how people get along with pets, or just in a good story. _Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World_ (Grand Central Publishing) is a lovely, loving story written by Vicki Myron (with Bret Witter), the former librarian of the little town of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey was a remarkable cat, since cats are not generally known for their outgoing natures, and some of the stories about him seem, well, too good to be true. But there is documentation! A whole town got to know this cat, not just library staff; reporters came in to tell his story, as did documentary film makers. As remarkable as Dewey was, the librarians and other citizens who came to love him are revealed to be just as remarkable; this is a perfect story of how pets are good for people and vice versa.

Dewey became a library cat in the most fitting of ways. He came into the Spencer Public Library via the book return slot. He didn't volunteer - he was far too small a kitten on that cold January morning of 1988. Someone thought it would be a good idea to shove a kitten in there. The poor cold cat could hardly stand, and it was grey with dirt; only cleaning it up revealed it to be a long-haired orange tabby. His paws were frostbitten, but he hobbled to each of the librarians as if to thank them for the rescue. It was the sort of thing he would continue to do for nineteen years, welcoming anyone who came into the library's front doors, attending meetings, sitting in laps, posing for photos, and generally being agreeable. Dewey turned out not to be just popular with the townsfolk, who, if they did not meet him at the library, heard about him from those who did, or from the local papers. People from small towns in adjoining counties would come by just to meet Dewey. When the _Des Moines Register_, though, the paper of the state capital, printed a story about Dewey, then other papers ran stories, and news crews came to the library. He was in a documentary made by a Japanese crew, and if a "magazine had _cat_ in the title, Dewey was probably in it." People from out of state who happened to be visiting "nearby" (perhaps a four hour drive) would make the trip to see him. His own needs were simple: "All Dewey ever wanted was a warm place to nap, a fresh can of food, and love and attention from every person who ever stepped foot in the Spencer Public Library."

Dewey lived to a ripe old age, slowing down gradually but always paying attention to his library friends. When his death came (I dare anyone to read the final chapters of this sweet book without a lump in the throat), his ashes were of course buried in the library's garden. His cremation had been donated by the crematorium, and his memorial stone was donated by the local funeral home. Myron got thousands of e-mails and condolence letters, because the obituary ran in over 270 newspapers worldwide. Myron herself seems like a tough survivor, but her book makes clear that her friendship with this ingratiating cat was the most successful of her relationships, so it was good Dewey was there for her, as well as good for the library and good for the town. Of course, she has lessons from Dewey she wants us to take away from this book, and they are good ones: "Find your place. Be happy with what you have. Treat everyone well. Live a good life. It isn't about material things; it's about love. And you can never anticipate love."

68 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Symbol of Spencer, October 27, 2008

By 

J. Stone - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (Hardcover)

This book is for everybody. Whether you are a child or an adult, whether you like cats or not, even whether you like reading or not! It is a really heartwarming story that reads very easy and that will fill your heart with great affection. It is a story of an extraordinary cat, a librarian, and their lives in a small Iowa town. It's a story that brought the little town of Spencer onto the world map. The Japanese television filmed Dewey, and after he died, his obituary ran in over 200 papers. But most of all, this isn't just another cat story; it's a story of survival, endurance, trust, and hope. Finally, it is a story about love and living a good life. You will understand all that after you read the final few chapters.

I highly recommend this book! You will fall in love with Dewey after reading the first few pages. I promise you that! For more heartwarming stories about another ginger cat I suggest the series of Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3). Read them all - you will want to share the stories with your loved ones.