Dewey : : the Small-Town Library cat who Touched the World

Locations
Call Number: 636.809 My, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Pets / Cats
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	636.809 My	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Pets / Cats	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Pets / Cats	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Introduction: Welcome to Iowa -- The coldest morning -- A perfect addition -- Dewey Readmore Books -- A day in the library -- Catnip and rubber bands -- Moneta -- Grand Avenue -- A cat's best friends -- Dewey and Jodi -- A long way from home -- Hide-and-seek -- Christmas -- A great library -- Dewey's great escape -- Spencer's favorite cat -- Iowa's famous library cat -- Dewey in the modern world -- Puss in books -- The world's worst eater -- Dewey's new friends -- What makes us special? -- Dewey goes to Japan -- Memories of Mom -- Dewey's diet -- The meeting -- Dewey's love -- Loving Dewey -- Epilogue: Last thoughts from Iowa.
The charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.
The story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat, starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the book return slot at the Spencer, Iowa, 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.--From publisher description.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

cool submitted by iamnotonfire on July 11, 2013, 4:58pm My friend who goes to karate read this and said that there was only one bad-word so far.

Dewey submitted by a2sue on July 15, 2013, 6:24am This was completely charming.

Personal and the community's story submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 11, 2016, 8:03pm A sweet book about a library cat who changed a community and touch people around the world. What I particularly liked was that the author told the story in ways that were both personal, at the level of Dewey and individual children and adults, and community-focused, at the level of the history of the town throughout its development from start through present day. Very nicely done.

Library Cat submitted by tbbrown76 on June 25, 2017, 2:50pm Sad beginning but great story. Wish all our branches had a Dewey.
TB

The Dew submitted by cullerth on July 23, 2018, 4:27pm If you enjoy a good cat and a good library, then this is the book for you.

Though you should also be aware - this story isn't just about a cat or the library in a small Iowa town he called home. The book is also part memoir for the author with a bit of local history mixed in. While at first I didn't quite jive with the way that the author was bringing in so many different elements, I quickly came around. As much as I love cats and libraries, it would have been really difficult to sit through a whole book of Dewey's misadventures. By learning more about the author's relationship to Dewey as director of the library and Dewey's relationship to the town of Spencer as its resident 'library cat', the story becomes situated in context and it is easier to become invested in a community that might not otherwise have grabbed your attention.

While I don't think I'll pick up the follow up book to this one - which just contains more anecdotes about Dewey and his legacy - I enjoyed this story and I'll definitely remember Dewey and what was imparted here about the power of community.