“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 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.”

And from the rear cover reviews:

“Iowa has produced a true feline Hall of Famer, a loveable library celebrity named Dewey, who put Spencer, Iowa, on the international map. This book is a purring good read, whether you are a cat lover, or not.”— Jim Fanning, former Major League Baseball player and manager

“The story of Dewey captures what makes small town life worth preserving—a sense of community. ‘Dewey’ rekindles my belief that one person (together with one cat) can change lives. Vicki Myron gives Spencer’s famous library cat a tenth life by writing this engaging biography.”—Christie Vilsack, former First Lady of Iowa

“I loved this heartwarming story with a five-hanky ending, that is not just about an extraordinary cat, but of the resilience and humanity of the people of Iowa and of Spencer in particular.”—W. P. Kinsella