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Dewey
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Dewey (2008) (edit title/settings)

The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

by Vicki Myron (Author), Bret Witter (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

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... read more

Summary edit see section history

Vicki Myron was a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer, Iowa, was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s. Then, on the coldest... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Vicki Myron was a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer, Iowa, was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s. Then, on the coldest morning of the year, Vicki found a tiny, bedraggled kitten almost frozen to death in the night drop box, and her life—and the town of Spencer—was never the same. Dewey, as the townspeople named the kitten, grew into a strutting, affable library cat whose antics kept patrons in stitches, and whose sixth sense about those in need created hundreds of deep and loving friendships. As his fame grew, people drove hundreds of miles to meet Dewey, and he even ended up in a hit television documentary…in Japan! Through it all, Dewey remained a loyal companion, a beacon of hope not just for Vicki Myron, but for the entire town of Spencer as it slowly, steadily pulled itself up from the worst financial crisis in its long history

Characters/People edit see section history

  • Dewey Readmore Books: The stray kitten found in the drop box. Since then, he's found a home in the library of Spencer, Iowa. Loves everyone, yet has his favorites. Also loves quirky things, like rubber bands, paper and Crystal.
  • Vicki Myron: The librarian who found and cares for Dewey in Spencer, Iowa. The author; director of the Spencer library.
  • Jodi: Vicki Myron's daughter
  • Jean Hollis Clark: Assistant at the library.
  • Doris Armstrong: The nicest on the library staff; a grandmotherly woman.
  • Kim Peterson: Library secretary.
  • Donna Stanford: Hired in 2002 as assistant librarian.
  • Kay Larson: Replaced Jean Hollis Clark as assistant director in later years. Kay was an Iowa farm woman with an engineering background, and had worked previously at a smaller library.
  • Mary Houston: Local historian.
  • Cynthia Behrends: Took the recycled soda cans for Dewey's upkeep.
  • Mary Walk: Children's librarian.
  • Verlyn Jipson: The librarian
  • Maie Mayou: Vicki's mother, a Catholic, daughter of an alcoholic. Mother of six children.
  • Bonnie Pluemer: Vicki's boss when she was assistant director, and a good friend.
  • Wally Myron: Vicki's husband, father to Jodi.
  • Grace Renzig: A library board member who intended to have vines planted on the east wall.
  • Dr. Esterly: The veterinarian in the town of Spencer for most of Dewey's life. Dewey hated going to him!
  • Dr. Franck: The female veterinarian taking care of Dewey after Dr. Esterly.
  • Joy De Wall: A young library staff member
  • Crystal: A young girl with disabilities. Dewey made some good changes in her life.
Show all 20 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “The world tends to recognize the unique and the loud, the rich and the self-serving, not those who do ordinary things extraordinarily well”
  • “...That's life. We all go through the tractor blades every now and then. We all get bruised, and we all get cut. Sometimes the blades cut deep. The lucky ones come through with few scratches, a little blood, but even that isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is having someone there to scoop you up, to hold you tight, and to tell you that everything is all right.”
  • “A great library is one nobody notices because it is always there, and it always has what people need.”
  • “You really do love something more when it's been lost.”
  • “Have you ever been lectured by a cat? It's not a pleasant experience.”

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Iowa, 1988 to 2006
  • Spencer: A small town in Iowa, about 10,000 people.
  • Montford: The slaughter house company that leased what had been the Spencer Food plant.
  • Mankato, MN: Vicki moved here with a girlfriend, got a job in a box company, then married.
  • Sioux City: Large city near Spencer.
  • Spencer Public Library: In downtown Spencer, a low, gray concrete building around the corner from Sister's Cafe.
  • Moneta: Twenty miles from Spencer. Where Vicki went to school.
  • Hartley, Iowa: Where Vicki lived at age 14 and went to Hartley High School.

First Sentence edit see section history

There is a thousand-mile table of land in the middle of the United States, between the Mississippi River on the east and the deserts on the west.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Introduction: Welcome to Iowa
1. The Coldest Morning
2. A Perfect Addition
3. Dewey Readmore Books
4. A Day in the Library
5. Catnip and Rubber Bands
6. Moneta
7. Grand Avenue
8. A Cat's Best Friend
9. Dewey and Jodi
10. A Long Way from Home
11. Hide-and-Seek
12. Christmas
13. A Great Library
14. Dewey's Great Escape
15. Spencer's Favorite Cat
16. Iowa's Famous Library Cat
17. Dewey in the Modern World
18. Puss in Books
19. The World's Worst Eater
20. Dewey's New Friends
21. What Makes Us Special?
22. Dewey Goes to Japan
23. Memories of Mom
24. Dewey's Diet
25. The Meeting
26. Dewey's Love
27. Loving Dewey
Epilogue: Last Thoughts from Iowa
Acknowledgements

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 2 in Dewey. (standard series)

Followed by Dewey's Nine Lives.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Vicki Myron (Author)
  2. Bret Witter (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Grand Central Pub
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 0446407410
Page Count: 277

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: SF445.5.M97 2008
  • Dewey: 636.800929

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Ask the Animals
  • Homer's Odyssey
  • Cleo
  • Marley & Me
  • Marley
  • The Daily Coyote
  • Wesley the Owl

Books Influenced by This Book edit see section history

   
  • Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
  • Dewey's Nine Lives
  • Dewey's Christmas at the Library

Books That Cite This Book edit see section history

   
  • This Book Is Overdue!

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