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

As an Iowan, I may have a slightly prejudiced view of this book. I've been to Spencer, enjoyed the Clay County Fair and have friends that grew up there. But, I also am a person that loves books, loves my library, has dealt with personal struggles and has had an animal play an important part in my life. Vicki Myron - the small-town librarian that found Dewey - shares not only Dewey's role in bringing attention and respect to her library and town - but the impact he had on her life and its many challenges.

While the anthropomorphism may drive some crazy - one has to wonder just how sensitive and insightful was that cat? Whether Dewey was the cause or just the catalyst (no pun intended),the changes he brought to his library and its librarian are undeniable.

A fast and enjoyable read that feels like a conversation with your aunt from the Midwest.

I live just a few hours from where the cat resided and I have never heard/or read the story of Dewey, until now. How did I miss this? I don't read Cat magazines, I guess? I was apparently oblivious to the 200 newspapers he was published in also. I can't be the only one?
I came to read his story now because I thought when browsing books the cover was so cute (a pic of Dewey himself too!). I'm very glad I used a tactic as trivial as "the cover is cute" to discover a remarkable story. Amazing the lives Dewey touched. He gave his uncondtional love in whatever way those who visited or knew him needed it. If the story doesn't bring a tear or two to your eye it will at least warm your heart.

Dewey is the story the small-town library cat who touched the world. The story begins on the morning after the coldest night of the year. Library director, Vicki Myron, checked the book drop box only to find that someone had dropped an 8 week old kitten into the slot. With temperatures reaching minus fifteen degrees plus the added factor of spending the night in a metal box with the lid propped open, the kitten was a scared, frozen mess. After a hot bath and some TLC that kitten became Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

For nineteen years Dewey greeted library patrons at the door, made people laugh, brought shy children out of their shell and wormed his way into the hearts of many people. With a sixth sense he could always tell who needed an extra bit of loving and he never failed to make people feel better after visiting with them. Visitors would come from near and far to visit the famous Dewey. He even stars in two documentaries; one featuring library cats and even one in Japanese. Along with Dewey’s adventures and antics Myron shares in heartfelt detail her family struggles and tells of life in a small town.

I’m a cat lover but I don’t think I’m being biased when I say that Dewey was a truly incredible cat. From life with such a cruel beginning it’s amazing to read what a trusting a sensitive cat Dewey became. Vicki Myron and Dewey will do for cat lovers what Marley and John Grogan did for dog lovers. I had to keep the tissues handy while reading this one and I recommend it to all animal lovers.

Such a sweet story. Dewey was dumped into the Book Return box on a cold winter night. Librarian Vickie Myron rescues him and forms a strong bond of love and respect. Dewey wins the hearts of library patrons and becomes a world-wide star. Light, heart-felt story of how this adorable cat spent his life inside a small-town library.

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. Great gift book. Great story!

If you are a animal lover this is one of the best. i fell in love with Dewey. I thank God for how He gives us animals that love us and become such a life change to our lives. I picture God in the background perhaps saying, Look if they can love in such a faithful way, can't you?