Library Cat's Story Becomes New York Times Best Seller
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Dewey is the life story of a baby kitten that was left in a book return slot at the Spencer Library back in January of 1988.
Rumors are that Dewey's story will soon be made into a movie starring Meryl Streep as Vicki Myron, the librarian who rescued Dewey from the winter cold.
Cute photo of Dewey Readmore Books:
http://bit.ly/c96CPq
Dewey's Bio:
Dewey Readmore Books was the resident cat at Spencer Public Library. He was put in the book return one cold January night in 1988. When the staff found him the next morning, they decided to adopt him. After the library's board of trustees and the city council approved, the kitten was declawed, neutered, and given the proper vaccinations. A contest was held to pick a name, and Dewey Readmore Books was officially added to the staff. The staff cared for Dewey and donated their pop cans to feed the kitty. Patrons and friends from as far away as New York have donated money for Dewey's food.
Dewey generated lots of publicity for the library. He was featured in the local paper, Country Magazine, Cat Fancy Magazine, on the Sioux City television stations, in books, and on postcards. He was a video star in "Puss in Books", a documentary about library cats. Of course, Dewey was already the star of the library. Many people came in just to see him. Dewey even had his own job description.
Dewey passed away on November 29, 2006 due to complications from a stomach tumor. He had become very frail because of hyperthyroid disease for which he was receiving medication. He died in the arms of the library director, Vicki Myron. He had celebrated his 19th birthday eleven days before he died. Although Dewey is gone, he will be remembered by thousands of people whom he cheered by simply being a loving presence in the library. Although we may get another library cat, Dewey will never be replaced. The library won't be the same without Dewey.
Dewey's memory lives on. He is an official member of the Library Cat Society and was a contributing author on several occasions using Vicki Myron, the library director, as his scribe. Vicki has written an adult book about her life with Dewey at Spencer Public Library, published September 24th, 2008. It is titled, "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World:."
Info from:
http://www.spencerlibrary.com/ dewey.shtml
http://www.deweyreadmorebooks.com/
Vicki has retired from the library, but you can contact her at: * Vicki Myron * P.O. Box 1155 * Spencer, IA 51301
Tags: feral cats dewey new york times spencer library 1988 library cat kitten movie book screenplay hero heroine love pets stray cat animal abuse kitties main coon calico tortie tabby tomcat mascot books friend companion iowa
Added: 3 years ago
From: feralcatnews
Views: 29,611
From amazon.com:
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
by Vicki Myron
One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named DeweyReadmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Through her developing relationship with the feline, Myron recounts the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story—despite an alcoholic husband, living on welfare, and health problems ranging from the difficult birth of her daughter, Jodi, to breast cancer. After her divorce, Myron graduated college (the first in her family) and stumbled into a library job. She quickly rose to become director, realizing early on that this was a job I could love for the rest of my life. Dewey, meanwhile, brings disabled children out of their shells, invites businessmen to pet him with one hand while holding the Wall Street Journal with the other, eats rubber bands and becomes a media darling. The book is not only a tribute to a cat—anthropomorphized to a degree that can strain credulity (Dewey plays hide and seek with Myron, can read her thoughts, is mortified by his hair balls) - it's a love letter to libraries.
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From ktiv.com:
Library Cat's Story Becomes New York Times Best Seller
By Allissa Hopkins
Posted: Oct 02, 2008 6:01 PM EDT
He was popular in his hometown of Spencer, Iowa, but a story about a cat named 'Dewey Readmore Books', has become a hit with readers across the country!
The book by former Spencer Librarian, Vicki Myron is now a New York Times 5th Best Seller.
Dewey is the life story of a cat that was left in the book return slot at the Spencer Library back in 1988.
It's ranked number three on Amazon.com, and was the top-seller on the Barnes and Noble Website Sunday.
While signing copies of her book in Sioux City today, Myron talked about her "chance" relationship with this beloved library cat.
"We had a bond that I've never had with another animal. There's no way to put that into words. I can't explain it, but I know that when I looked into his eyes that I was seeing an old soul in a cat's body. And, that's exactly what he was," said Vicki Myron, author of Dewey.
Dewey is being published in 22 countries and in almost as many languages.
There are even talks about a movie.
