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    Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World
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    Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World
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    Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World
    Audiobook7 hours

    Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World

    Written by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

    Narrated by Susan McInearny

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    .

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateOct 7, 2010
    ISBN9781607886228
    Unavailable
    Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World

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    Reviews for Dewey

    4/5

    1,545 ratings167 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Vicki Myron has written a very heartwarming story about a wonderful cat who changed people's lives.Hailing from central Iowa myself, I understand what Ms. Myron means about the beautiful Iowa scenery and the wonderful, small-town Iowa communities.Also, being an owner of 12 cats, I fell in love with Dewey.A must read for cat lovers and people who love small-town living.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. In fact, when I started reading it I found myself wondering why it had taken me so long to pick it up and read in the first place. It's a touching story about a simple alley cat who took a township to heart, and who the township took to heart as well, at a time of dire need. This cat, whilst owned by the author of the book, Vicki Myron, was every bit the community's cat.

      I loved the way the story was written. It had little anecdotes about Vicki's and other peoples' lives, weaved in amongst Dewey's story. It was a great and easy read.

      Toward the end of the book, Vicki makes a comment about the elderly and today's society. The scenario is that at one of the regular library board meetings the members started talking, at length, about how unappealing Dewey was looking due to his age (he was 18 at the time) I'll quote directly from the book now: "Everybody ages. Eighty-year-olds don't look like twenty-year-olds, and they shouldn't. We live in a throwaway culture that stashes older people away and tries not to look at them. They have wrinkles. They have age spots. They don't walk well and their hands shake. Their eyes are watery, or they drool when they eat, or they "burp in their pants" too much (Jodi's [this is Vicki's daughter] phrase from when she was two years old). We don't want to see that. Even the accomplished elderly, even the people who gave their whole lives, we want them out of sight out of mind. But maybe older people, and old cats, have something to teach us, if not about the world, then about ourselves".

      I think everybody should read this book. It's fun and light and just simply a great read.
    • 2/5
      There is a lot if cliche and misinformation about cats in here. Overall it's a feel good book about a cat's life, and it's pretty bland. I wouldn't recommend it.
    • 4/5
      I'm sorry that I opted to listen to the audio version of Dewey rather than reading the book. The reader (Suzanne Toren) did a good job but she had what to me seemed like a bit of a snarky tone that didn't fit very well with the sweet story of the library cat and the people and town that loved him. Had I read it myself, I think I would have felt more emotionally involved with the story. The upside though, is that I wasn't blubbering at the end. A sweet story to be read, especially by cat lovers.
    • 5/5
      This is a book about a kind of love that anyone who's had a special animal in their lives will recognize. Also a love of place and community and family and friends. Despite the tears, this was just what I needed at this time - an antidote to the hatred and violence that seems to be in the headlines each and every day.
    • 5/5
      very moving
    • 5/5
      I loved Dewey.
    • 5/5
      What a simply lovely book! Dewey was slipped into the book return box of the Spencer Public Library in Iowa one cold January night. Vicki Myron, the library director, and another staff member found him almost frozen in the morning. This lovely little cat endeared himself to all the staff members and, when it was decided to make him the official library cat, to almost everyone in town. Then Dewey went on to capture the imagination of people all over the world. Vicki tells us about Dewey but also about herself and her family. She also talks about living in a small town dependent on agriculture during the farm crisis of the 1980's. Dewey came along at just the right time to give the town something to think about other than mortgage rates and foreclosures and falling commodity prices. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cats and even to those people who think they don't. Dewey will change your mind.
    • 3/5
      It is very easy to read. May be Vicki tried to make read everyone from adults to kids. The Dewey's photo on the cover is marverous. He is SOOOO cute.
    • 5/5
      Who wouldn't want a cat who keeps you warm in the winter by purring on your lap? Who wouldn't want a cat who keeps you company during the toughest of times?Who wouldn't want a cat who uses all his strength to love you and your family eternally.

      I was( and still am) touched by Dewey and his story. Because of the unconditional love and support he gave, and is giving through his story, Dewey is indeed the small-town library cat who touched the world.

      This story( or biography) is Purr-fect.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the story of Dewey Readmore Books the orange cat that lived at the public library in Spencer Iowa. The story is written by the librarian, Vicky Myron, who rescued the tiny kitten from the book return bin on a very cold January night. The book is an account of Dewey and Vicky's lives. Dewey was a very rare cat in that he had a great personality, was super friendly, tolerant of little kids and really enjoyed the company of all the library patrons. He especially loved Vicky and her daughter Jodi. The book is about his antics, all the friends that he makes, his funny habits and his reputation which makes him an international star. Intertwined with this is the story of Spencer, Iowa and Vicky's personal story which adds another dimension. If you're looking for an uplifting happy story, read this
    • 3/5
      Great story involving a stranded kitten at an Iowa Library. Appreciated the effect on the patrons and the librarian.
    • 3/5
      This was a charming read about Dewey, a cat adopted by a small town library. With Dewey's story as the vehicle, I enjoyed learning more about the farming belt, small town life, and the history of little Spencer, Iowa. In some instances, it reminded me of the place where I grew up.

      The only drawback is that I, by chance, got the large print copy of this book from the public library, where I had this title on hold. This particular edition, 464 pages long, felt long-winded at times for a book about one cat. I think that if I'd had the regular print book, I probably wouldn't feel that way.
    • 4/5
      Despite the fact I knew I would cry at the end, I still decided to read this, and it was worth it. Of course I fell in love with Dewey. I can only imagine how lovable he must have been in person. If he were still around, I would be very tempted to make the several hundred mile drive to see him, as I've been wanting to take a trip Iowa sometime anyway. I think I heard once that it is the state with the best average longevity and maybe also the happiest state?

      This is Dewey's biography, but it is also the author's autobiography. I enjoyed reading her story too, even though most of it was pretty depressing. She and her family went through some painful experiences. I guess learning about those experiences helps the reader to understand just how much more it must have meant to have an angel like Dewey in her life. I also enjoyed reading about small town/farm life in Iowa and how it transformed over several decades.
    • 5/5
      Why did I wait so long to read this delightful, huggable, inspiring book? Dewey touched my heart, but Vicki Myron, his 'mom', is incredible. What this small-town librarian, now retired, has been through - and survived with spirit - fills half of Dewey's book, but also turns what could have been just another soppy pet story into a truly heartfelt and honest account of life in a close midwestern community. I loved reading about Spencer, Iowa - mentally adding Dewey to my list of Iowan icons, including Captain Kirk and Bill Bryson! - and Vicki's life and work there, as much (if not more) than the anecdotes about a large ginger cat. That said, Dewey got to me right from the first pages - 'The kitten looked up at me, slowly and sadly' - and I was dreading the final chapters (oh, come on, everyone knows not to read books like this in company!) I had distract myself by squeezing the tip of one finger - hard! - so that I wouldn't burst into tears.Non-cat lovers might be made of stronger stuff, but Vicki Myron tells her own story, and that of Dewey the library cat and the people of Spencer, Iowa, who fell in love with him, with openess, humour and love. The world needs more people like her, and I just wish that the library where I work was a safe environment for a cat (or indeed for the staff who work there)!
    • 1/5
      In the immortal words of the incomparable Dorothy Parker, "Tonstant Weader fwowed up."

      An ordinary cat imbued with extraordinary powers by the extreme anthropomorphism of his owner (I'm sorry, his "Mommy") does not a compelling story make. All cats are singular. I found the writing as pedestrian as the story. Not the sort of thing I like.

    • 4/5
      This book was a great blend of memoir, history, and the joy of having a cat. It follows the story of Dewey: a kitten that was rescued after being put through the library book drop slot and spent the rest of his life living in the library and being an ambassador for 'his' library and town across the world. It is a great feel-good story that also tells about the life of Dewey's "person", the community they lived in, and how one cat can change people's perceptions.[return]I would recommend this read for all animal lovers.
    • 5/5
      Dewey Readmore Books what a name for a cat, but what a cat! Be ready to laugh and cry. You'll get a look at Iowa, a small town, and a family that lived there for generations. I know this town, there are thousands of them across the midwest. I just wish I'd met Dewey sooner.
    • 3/5
      Anyone who reads this book will want to know that the book is written about Dewey's entire life, including his death at the age of 19. I'm a crier and the last two chapters had me bawling.

      The book is as warm, touching and sweet as the photo on the cover. It's almost exactly what I expected, a heartwarming story and not exactly masterfully written.

      Still, it's a nice read. I wish we'd have gotten more detail about the other people in the library instead of just being told what they were like. I especially would have liked details about how Dewey's presence made staff relations better (how did people act before he arrived?).

      **Spoiler**

      I was really interested in, and frankly disgusted by, the meeting held by the library board when Dewey got older. Apparently there had been "complaints" because Dewey wasn't as handsome as he used to be. Board members felt it wasn't appropriate for him to live in the library any more. The meeting they held was one of the scariest examples of groupthink and just how screwed up committees can be that I've heard of. I'd love to see this situation used as an example for how a board shouldn't work.
    • 4/5
      This was more than just a 'cute book about a cute cat.' I would say 80% of thebook was about the wonderfully adorable and charismatic Dewey Readmore Books. The other part of the book gives the reader a background about the town Dewey comes to make famous - Spencer, Iowa - and the author of the book and real owner of Dewey, Vicki Myron. Learning about both of those highlights Dewey's ability to touch people's lives.
    • 3/5
      One cold morning, Dewey is found, frozen, in the after hours return box of a library. The librarian, Vicki Myron, takes it into her care and attempts to make it the library cat. After a long persistent fight to make him a library cat, Dewey officially becomes a library cat. Dewey was a cat who liked humans and would often sit in people laps. This novel describes the life of Dewey in Vick Myron's eyes as well as telling the story of Myron herself. It is worth reading as it makes the reader want a cat and it demonstrates the way in which the cat helped support a whole town. It is definitely a book for animal lovers as well as people who don't like animals.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book celebrating the life of an abandoned kitten. One should know the complexities of cats in order to appreciate the behavior of this cat. Dewey's life touched so many. He was an outgoing cat and loved people. Dewey even worked his routine (library job) to his last day. Thanks to Vicki Myron for sharing Dewey's life with us.
    • 4/5
      A delightful read. If you are a cat person, you can absolutely identify; we ALL think our cats are "exceptional". Sometimes it takes a small furry creature to bring out the best in people.
    • 5/5
      Dewey Readmore was an ordinary cat placed in an extraordinary situation. Left in a library drop box, this starving kitten was embraced and adopted by the Spencer Public Library (Iowa). Dewey became a working cat! He befriended patrons, gave interviews, and appeared in magazines and documentaries. He increased patron use and served as the library's mascot for nineteen years. He became world famous.Throughout this book, Vicki Myron included much about her own life. She survived single motherhood, the deaths of two siblings, and a myraid of health issues. In spite of being on welfare, Myron graduated summa cum laude in several academic areas including library science. She became Spencer's library director amd went on to earn a masters degree in library science.This book is poignant, humerous, and thoughtful.
    • 4/5
      Finished reading 'Dewey' recently, and it's a nice book. Not only for cat lovers either. ;)Vicki did a great job telling not only the story of Dewey, the library cat, but of her own life, her family's and the town of Spencer, Iowa, where they all lived. Really enjoyed it, was touched by the sad ending when Dewey passes away, hard to anyone who cared about him.Thanks Vicki, nice read!
    • 3/5
      Ok, so I work at a library, am studying a Masters in Library Science, AND own two cats (even though sometimes I feel that it's the cats that own me). I think that explains why I got interested in "Dewey" to begin with. I must say that the style feel somehow bland to me, but, what can I say? Writing an interesting story about a cat in a small library can not be that easy (no bullets to dodge, or helicopters to jump from). what I found completely and absolutely endearing was the way in which Dewey helped build a community, and revitalize a small library. Library staff is always looking for ways to maintain their library welcoming, attractive, and open to everybody. I think that Dewey did just that.
    • 5/5
      Dewey was dropped into the library's return book slot on the coldest night of the year, he was only 8 weeks old! He survived and lived in the library for over 15 years touching lives in big and small ways.Very touching story of just how animals can change, help and touch our lives. Be prepared laugh and cry.
    • 4/5
      What an endearing story of Dewey Readmore Books, the library cat who put the town of Spencer, Iowa on the map! I enjoyed the story of his rescue from the book drop and adoption by the library. I saw a lot of similarities between my own cat and Dewey in some aspects, but Dewey is much more of a people cat than mine has ever been or will be. It's a great story of a cat who shared the love he had to give with a town in need of it.
    • 3/5
      I have to say, it was tiring to constantly read about how Dewey went to sit on patrons' laps to nobly comfort them in their time of woe, when most likely the cat was just looking for a warm and cozy place to nap at. There are way too many human characteristics assigned to his actions. Every time the author begins to push credulity, she acknowledges she may just be reading too much into it... but then continues to do it again a few chapters down anyway. I also wonder whether Dewey really "inspired millions" as the tagline says. Most likely he inspired the townfolk and those who visited to see him, and served as a fluff piece for anyone reading anything about him on the newspaper. I did not mind the focus on the author's life or on the town too much, because the setting is a large part of the effect that Dewey had on the library patrons. It does get a little ridiculous when two-thirds of the book focuses on this, though. Overall, I have to say that the videos and photos on the official Dewey site evoked more emotion from me than the narrative. Finishing the book, annoyed with its tedium, I went to the site and instantly understood why the book was written in the first place.
    • 2/5
      This book was on my wish list so imagine how thrilled I was to find it at a garage sale. I set everything else aside and dove right in expecting a tale able cat antics. There were those of course but to my disbelief there was more than a peppering of memoir type material by/of the author. She has suffered in many ways and experienced loss countless times. I am sorry for that but it is not what I came to this book to read about.