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.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: I Like Books About Cats (Generally)
Comment: I tend to like books about cats from small towns since I too am from a small town (but not a cat ;) tee-hee) This book was good, but not great.
I'm also an aspiring writer, and I felt that the Dewey character was underdeveloped. Obviously, the anthropomorphizalition of Dewey is critical to relate to the reader, yet the cat himself could have easily led a double life as a librarian during the day, and a ninja-crime-fighter at night. No other animal is as ninja-like as a cat ... sure others have tried, but all failed. Therefore, an opportunity to create a national hero has been missed. The commercialization and licensing fees from a line of Ninja Dewey lunchboxes alone would have covered the medical fees for cat rehab. Except for lacking the ninja connection, this book was good ... and touching.
Customer Rating: Summary: Marvelous book
Comment: I am truly sorry for those people who can't see the very real beauty of this book about the love of a woman for a cat. It is a heart-warming (unless you have no heart) story about life in an Iowa town and the real change that a stray kitten brought to the people of that town and then the world. Of course, Dewey is no "Marley" (as one reader charges). Indeed, he was not meant to be. Dewey and the story of his life in an Iowa library was never boring and those who think so must find their reading amusements in other more sensational, less heartfelt places. Highest recommendation for "Dewey."
Customer Rating: Summary: Boring
Comment: I thought some of this book was interesting - I'm an animal lover. But most of it was just "story telling" and hard to keep up my interest.
This book does not even come close to "Marley and Me".
Customer Rating: Summary: Do-we love Dewey? You betcha!
Comment: This book is about Dewey Readmore Books, a cat who as a kitten was found shivering in the drop off book box at a library in Iowa. He was adopted by the library staff and became the library's, and ultimately, the town's cat. Dewey greeted library patrons, helped shelf books and make the library a friendly place. The number of people visiting the library shot through the roof, and Dewey became a worldwide sensation. Even though I knew how it ended, I cried like a baby. This was a great read!
Customer Rating: Summary: Underwhelming
Comment: I'm sure Dewey was a great cat, but this book would have been better as a short story or even an essay. There simply wasn't enough material here about Dewey, the supposed subject of the book. Additionally, I really disliked how the author constantly anthropomorphized him, even going so far as to say what he was thinking (in italics) throughout the book. Overall, I felt that the quality of the writing was lacking. I skimmed the last third of the book, just to get through it. It just wasn't as enjoyable as all of the reviews have made it out to be.
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