Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Deep Black
WORK NOTES: with Sean McFate
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.bretwitter.com/
CITY: Decatur
STATE: GA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://www.harpercollins.com/cr-107605/bret-witter * http://www.bretwitter.com/bio/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; two children.
EDUCATION:Attended Duke University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Has held editorial positions at publishing companies, including Avon Books.
WRITINGS
The Monuments Men was adapted into a feature film, with a screenplay by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, directed by Clooney, and released by Columbia and Fox 2000 in 2014. Stronger was adapted into a feature film, with a screenplay by John Pollono, directed by David Gordon Green, and released by Lionsgate in 2017.
SIDELIGHTS
Bret Witter usually writes with a coauthor, often telling inspiring true stories, although he has ventured into fiction at times. He held editorial positions at various publishing companies before quitting to become a full-time writer in 2006. “While I can and do write in many genres and styles, my books tend to focus on ordinary people,” he explained on his website. “My primary theme, I suppose, is the nobility of the ordinary: the joy that comes with working hard for personal goals, even if relatively few ever notice.”
Dewey
Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World grew out of Witter’s first book proposal as a full-time writer. He and Vicki Myron, director of the Spencer Public Library in Iowa, tell the story of the library’s popular mascot. Myron found a sickly kitten in the book drop in 1988, took him in and named him Dewey Readmore Books, and made him a fixture of the library, where he charmed patrons of all ages for the next nineteen years. It is also the story of Myron’s struggles and success. At one point in her life she lived on public assistance, and she had health problems including childbirth complications and breast cancer. In addition, the man she married was an alcoholic. After leaving her him, she became the first person in her family to go to college, then started working at the library, and she quickly fell in love with the job. She and Witter became best-selling authors with Dewey, and the book led to a sequel, Dewey’s Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions. They also wrote versions of Dewey’s story for children.
Dewey impressed several critics. It is a “beguiling, poignant, and tender tale of survival, loyalty, and love,” Carol Haggas observed in Booklist. Library Journal contributor Eva Lautemann called the book a “charming and heartwarming story of an extraordinary feline.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer thought the authors anthropomorphized Dewey “to a degree that can strain credulity,” but still praised the volume as both “a tribute to a cat” and “a love letter to libraries.”
Until I Say Good-bye
In Until I Say Good-bye: My Year of Living with Joy, Witter collaborates with journalist Susan Spencer-Wendel to chronicle how her life changed when she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative and ultimately fatal disorder. Spencer-Wendel had a successful career as a reporter for Florida’s Palm Beach Post, and was happily married with three children. After her diagnosis, she decided to quit her job and devote herself to realizing dreams she had put off. She witnessed a space shuttle launch, traveled to Canada’s Yukon Territory to see the aurora borealis, and made a return trip to Prague, where she and her husband had lived early in their marriage. She also met her birth mother for the first time.
Some critics praised the book for its balanced portrayal of Spencer-Wendel’s joyful experiences and the shadow cast by her illness. The story “is both bittersweet and often surprisingly funny,” remarked Norah Piehl, reviewing online at Bookreporter. The humorous moments, she said, “continually remind readers that it’s okay to follow in Spencer-Wendel’s footprints and to approach her memoir with joy–fragile and complicated to be sure, but joy nonetheless.” Spencer-Wendel, added a Publishers Weekly contributor, tells her story “with courage and strength” and “shows her family and friends how to go on, choosing happiness and love over fear.”
Pure Heart
Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey is the true story of a woman who delayed but finally realized her dream of running a moonshine company. Troylyn Ball had her share of challenges–her first husband was abusive, and her two sons had severe health problems. Originally a Texan, she relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, with her second husband, Charlie. She dedicated herself to his business ventures for several years, but she still had her own entrepreneurial visions. Eventually, with Asheville Distilling Company, she became the first woman to be a licensed hard-liquor distiller in North Carolina. Along the way, she overcame further obstacles, such as money-losing real estate investments that plunged the family into a financial crisis, and emerged a success.
Some reviewers found Pure Heart an inspiring, appealing tale. The book offers a “profound, all-consuming message of love, hope, and persistence,” related Carissa Chesanek in Booklist. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “a heart-stirring life story.”
Shadow War
Witter’s first novel, Shadow War, the beginning of a planned series authored with Sean McFate, draws on McFate’s experience with a military contracting firm as well as his service in the U.S. Army and his work with humanitarian organization Amnesty International. The coauthors’ protagonist is Tom Locke, who works for military contractor Apollo Outcomes. His employer gives him an assignment in Ukraine, for a military operation that also includes rescuing a businessman’s imperiled family. The head of Apollo, however, has hidden agendas that make Locke’s mission all the more complicated and hazardous, and possibly lead to global war.
Several critics considered the novel a superior example of its genre. McFate and Witter “take the reader on a gripping journey inside the world of modern warfare and espionage,” reported Jeff Ayers in Booklist. A Publishers Weekly reviewer termed Shadow War a “smart, exciting first novel” that ranks “well above the standard military thriller.” Both predicted there would be a ready audience for further Tom Locke adventures.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Biography, volume 33, number 1. 2010, Jonathan Yardley, review of The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, p. 302.
Booklist, August 1, 2008, Carol Haggas, review of Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World, p. 20; May 15, 2010, Linda Perkins, review of Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat, p. 36; May 15, 2011, Colleen Mondor, review of Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him, p. 7; April 15, 2012, Carol Haggas, review of A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation, p. 17; May 15, 2014, Erin Anderson, review of Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog, p. 48; March 15, 2016, Jeff Ayers, review of Shadow War, p. 30; December 1, 2016, Carissa Chesanek, review of Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey, p. 11.
Bookseller, December 14, 2012, review of Until I Say Good-bye: My Year of Living with Joy, p. 38.
Boston Globe, April 15, 2014, Ethan Gilsdorf, review of Stronger.
California Bookwatch, August, 2011, review of Until Tuesday.
Children’s Bookwatch, October, 2009, review of Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!
Faces: People Places and Cultures, October, 2015, review of Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story, p. 48.
Horn Book Magazine, September-October, 2014. Susan Dove Lempke, review of Tuesday Tucks Me In, p. 134.
Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2016, review of Pure Heart.
Library Journal, July 1, 2008, Eva Lautemann, review of Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World, p. 101; November 15, 2010, Eva Lautemann, review of Dewey’s Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions, p. 83.
Military Review, May-June, 2010, James Burcalow, review of The Monuments Men, p. 137.
Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2008, review of Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World, p. 65; September 7, 2009, review of Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!, p. 43; May 3, 2010, review of Dewey the Library Cat, p. 51; August 23, 2010, review of Dewey’s Nine Lives, p. 42; April 30, 2012, review of A Golden Voice, p. 127; January 14, 2013, review of Until I Say Good-bye, p. 50; March 7, 2016, review of Shadow War, p. 42; June 5, 2017, review of Deep Black. p. 30.
School Librarian, autumn, 2010, Rosemary Woodman, review of Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!, p. 158.
School Library Journal, January, 2004, Jamie Watson, review of Carnival Undercover, p. 166; September, 2009, Beth Cuddy, review of Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library!. p. 145; June, 2010, Kara Schaff Dean, review of Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat, p. 134; October, 2010, Linda Israelson, review of Dewey’s Christmas at the Library, p. 75; May, 2014. Susan E. ,Murray, review of Tuesday Tucks Me In, p. 150.
ONLINE
Bookreporter.com, https://www.bookreporter.com/ (September 24, 2008), Carole Turner, review of Dewey: The Small-town Library Cat Who Touched the World; (October 12, 2010), Carole Turner, review of Dewey’s Nine Lives; (May 3, 2011), Kate Ayers, review of Until Tuesday; (March 15, 2013), Norah Piehl, review of Until I Say Good-bye.
Bret Witter Website, http://www.bretwitter.com (April 21, 2018).
Hello fellow book lovers! Thank you for visiting my page. I am a full-time professional writer, usually working with a co-author on their inspiring true story or to bring their vast knowledge of some interesting subject to the public. I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, attended Duke University, and worked a series of forgettable jobs for twelve years until getting my big break when Vicki Myron and I collaborated on Dewey, the story of the famous library cat of Spencer, Iowa, in 2008. I have written 8 NYT bestsellers; combined, they have sold more than 3 million copies, been translated into more than 30 languages, and spent almost two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Both Dewey and The Monuments Men, the basis of the movie starring George Clooney, where #1 NYT bestsellers. I live in Decatur, Georgia, and yes, I'm happy to come to your book event if you are in the area (and especially if you are serving wine and/or cookies). Visit my website at www.bretwitter.com.
Bret Witter has co-authored eight New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestseller The Monuments Men. He lives with his family in Decatur, Georgia.
Bret Witter has collaborated on many acclaimed books, including the New York Times bestseller Dewey, Tuesday Tucks Me In, and The Monuments Men. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bret Witter has written eight New York Times bestsellers, including #1 bestseller Dewey and The Monuments Men. His books have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. He lives in Decatur, GA.
Quoted in Sidelights: “While I can and do write in many genres and styles, my books tend to focus on ordinary people,” he explained on his home page. “My primary theme, I suppose, is the nobility of the ordinary: the joy that comes with working hard for personal goals, even if relatively few ever notice.”
My first memory of loving books was finding the Hardy Boys series at my local library in Huntsville, Alabama when I was six or seven years old. My life has been changed by many books since– Huckleberry Finn; Absalom, Absalom; The Power Broker; everything by Elmore Leonard; The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks–but reading three Hardy Boys books in two days, then going back and getting three more is how it started. I’ve spent the rest of my life trying to figure out how to write.
In high school, I wrote (terrible) poetry. At Duke University, I studied literature. After a short stint at a local bookstore, I moved to New York City and got a job as an assistant in the subsidiary rights department at Avon Books. It was just about the lowest job in publishing, but it paid $14,000 a year and I got to work with books. I switched to the editorial department eighteen months later and spent the next ten years editing and creating hundreds of books and series. In my spare time, I also wrote or collaborated on a dozen books under various pseudonyms, including a New York Times bestseller (uncredited) in 2003.
In 2006, I left my job as editorial director at HCI to become a full-time writer. My first proposal was for a book with Spencer, Iowa library director Vicki Myron. It was about the library’s recently deceased cat, Dewey. The day after we sold it to Grand Central, the deal was slammed in The New York Times as signifying everything wrong with mainstream publishing—a cat! In Iowa! Who cares!—but when it was published a year later, Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, was a #1 New York Times bestseller, spent six months in the top five, and sold more than a million copies. It made the list of the year’s top fifteen bestselling nonfiction hardcovers in both 2008 and 2009.
Since then, I have written six more New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestselling The Monuments Men, which was turned into a movie by George Clooney.
While I can and do write in many genres and styles, my books tend to focus on ordinary people. My primary theme, I suppose, is the nobility of the ordinary: the joy that comes with working hard for personal goals, even if relatively few ever notice. The heroes of my stories don’t become rich or famous; instead, they find happiness and purpose. I gravitate toward those stories, I think, because I’m a middle-class kid from Alabama who finally found contentment doing what I love at the age of thirty-five. Those stories are my story, too.
I currently live in Decatur, Georgia, with my wife and two children.
Deep Black
Publishers Weekly. 264.23 (June 5, 2017): p30+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Deep Black
Sean McFate and Bret Witter. Morrow, $26.99
(336p) ISBN 978-0-06-240373-5
McFate and Witters strong sequel to 2016's Shadow War finds mercenary Tom Locke operating as a "slum mere" in ISIS territory north of Mosul, Iraq, after being betrayed by Brad Winters, his boss at Apollo Outcomes, a high-end military security company. Since fighting ISIS pays nothing, Locke and the remnants of his team--Boonchu "Boon" Tripnet and ex-SAS commando Wildman--decide to accept a lucrative offer from Prince Abdulaziz, a member of the Saudi royal family, to locate a missing grown son who may be in Mosul. The elder Abdulaziz is plotting to make his family indispensable to the Saudi government in an effort to outmaneuver his rivals for the throne. The ensuing combat scenes are as good as any in the business. The authors are particularly proficient at tossing off one-liners ("Combat is like heroin. Even after it's worn you out and thrown you away, you need more"). By the end, Locke finds himself in even more trouble than he was at the start. Satisfied readers wouldn't have it any other way. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Deep Black." Publishers Weekly, 5 June 2017, p. 30+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495538310/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c87d9182. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495538310
Quoted in Sidelights: “profound, all-consuming message of love, hope, and persistence,”
Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey
Carissa Chesanek
Booklist. 113.7 (Dec. 1, 2016): p11.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey. By Troylyn Ball and Bret Witter. Feb. 2017.256p. Harper/Dey Street, $26.99 (97800624589711.818.
Ball knows the importance of never giving up. Her first marriage ended in abuse, she later raised two sons with serious health problems, and she long kept her dream of starting a moonshine company on the back burner. After she and her second husband, her former high-school flame, Charlie, adopted a third son together, Ball dove into a new journey with her family. They uprooted to Asheville on a new career path dedicated to clean air, Ball's husband's dream. Things were going well, but Ball was too busy to even daydream about her moonshine company. Years pass and a bad investment of Charlie's comes to a head, forcing Ball to take action and reach out to her community for help. In the process, she gains the knowledge and confidence to start her own adventure her own way and finally makes her dream business a reality. This memoir is one readers will easily flip through, enjoying the narrator's southern-style wit and charming character on every page, along with her profound, all-consuming message of love, hope, and persistence.--Carissa Chesanek
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Chesanek, Carissa. "Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2016, p. 11. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A474716877/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5a2b7be4. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A474716877
Quoted in SidelightsL “a heart-stirring life story.”
Witter, Bret: PURE HEART
Kirkus Reviews. (Nov. 15, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Witter, Bret PURE HEART Dey Street/HarperCollins (Adult Nonfiction) $26.99 2, 7 ISBN: 978-0-06-245897-1
The first woman ever licensed to distill hard liquor in North Carolina uncorks an emotionally charged memoir about traversing family heartache to become the "moonshine mama" of the South.In the art of making moonshine, "pure heart" refers to the elusive part of the distillation process when fermenting corn mash begins to yield the best part of "platinum whisky." It also describes the fierce and unwavering love that Ball, founder and owner of Asheville Distilling Company, demonstrates caring for her wheelchair-bound sons, Marshall and Coulton. Born with severe health issues and prone to near-constant respiratory infections, the boys weren't expected to live into their teen years. Ball refused to let that happen, and she also found a way to resurrect the entrepreneurial spirit her beloved father instilled in her when she was a girl running her own horse shows in Texas. Determined to give her kids a better chance far away from those dusty confines, however, Ball and her devoted husband, Charlie, packed up the family and moved to Asheville. There, the author, who wrote the book with the assistance of veteran co-author Witter, realized that she and moonshine were a perfect match. Invoking the salesmanship learned at her father's knee, she valiantly began to construct her new company making her own authentic brew. The business soured fast, however, when Charlie's real estate ventures tanked, and what began as the author's quest for identity and self-fulfillment quickly became a desperate mission to save her family from dissolution and ruin. "Even now," she writes, "I find my resentment bubbling up, not for the bad investment--that was the product of the times--but because my husband didn't listen [to her business advice]." Teetering between success and failure, Ball was able to create a thriving business through sheer hard work and good sense. A heart-stirring life story.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Witter, Bret: PURE HEART." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2016. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A469865802/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7a9009bb. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A469865802
Quoted in Sidelights: “smart, exciting first novel” that ranks “well above the standard military thriller.”
Shadow War
Jeff Ayers
Booklist. 112.14 (Mar. 15, 2016): p30.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Shadow War. By Sean McFate and Bret Witter. May 2016.368p. Morrow, $25.99 (9780062403704).
McFate worked with DynCorp International, an elite 82nd Airborne division of the U.S. Army, and Amnesty International, and he puts that experience to good use in the creation of Tom Locke, a private military contractor who works behind the scenes in potential hot zones. In this debut thriller, Locke is working in Libya when he's ordered to Ukraine for a top-secret mission. His assignment is to rescue a businessman, but it's much more complicated than that, thanks to a boss with ulterior motives and to the realization that one false move could lead to war between Russia and the United States. Distractions also come in the form of Locke's former girlfriend, whom he has never stopped loving. McFate and coauthor Witter take the reader on a gripping journey inside the world of modern warfare and espionage, and those who enjoy a good military thriller will be hoping that more Tom Locke adventures will follow quickly.--Jeff Ayers
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ayers, Jeff. "Shadow War." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2016, p. 30. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A449416994/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=56ad5e49. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A449416994
Quoted in Sidelights: “take the reader on a gripping journey inside the world of modern warfare and espionage,”
Shadow War
Publishers Weekly. 263.10 (Mar. 7, 2016): p42.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Shadow War
Sean McFate and Bret Witter. Morrow, $25.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-240370-4
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
At the start of army veteran McFate's smart, exciting first novel and series launch--written with Witter (The Monuments Men, with Robert M. Edsel)--mercenary Tom Locke and his team rendezvous in the Libyan desert with a tribe of Tuareg who have two trucks full of antiaircraft missiles and other valuable weapons to sell. When bandits suddenly attack, the resourceful Locke prevails in the ensuing firefight. Back in Washington, D.C., Locke's boss at security giant Apollo Outcomes gives him an assignment in the Ukraine, where he's to craft a newsworthy military victory for an Apollo client, oligarch and parliamentarian Kostyantyn Karpenko. Locke knows the Russians in Ukraine will try to stop him, and the time frame is only five days, but this is the sort of mission impossible that he loves. Locke's careful planning and the resulting battles combine to elevate this book well above the standard military thriller. Readers will look forward to seeing a lot more of Locke. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Shadow War." Publishers Weekly, 7 Mar. 2016, p. 42. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A447637592/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=719cb80d. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A447637592
Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story
Faces: People, Places, and Cultures. 32.2 (Oct. 2015): p48.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Cricket Media
http://www.cricketmedia.com/
Full Text:
Editor's Pick
Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story
by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Do you love cats? Do you love books? If you answered yes to either question, then you will love this book. The adventure begins when Vicki Myron, then the library director at the Spencer Public Library in Spencer, Iowa, and a co-worker find a tiny kitten abandoned in the library's drop box.
It's the coldest day of the year and the kitten is tiny and helpless. The librarians rescue the cat and decide to keep him as the library's cat. Dewey Readmore Books, as the cat is called, becomes a fixture at the library. He is slightly mischievous and keeps the librarians on their toes. But Dewey also connects with many of the library's patrons and becomes a symbol of hope and courage. You will enjoy this heartwarming story.
Scholastic Inc., 2010
www.scholastic.com
Ages 9 and up
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story." Faces: People, Places, and Cultures, Oct. 2015, p. 48. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A432494735/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=134343e8. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A432494735
Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog
Susan Dove Lempke
The Horn Book Magazine. 90.5 (September-October 2014): p134.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Full Text:
Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog
by Luis Carlos Montalvan with Bret
Witter; photos by Dan Dion
Primary Roaring Brook 40 pp.
5/14 978-1-59643-891-0 $16.99
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Tuesday, a golden retriever service dog, narrates this sometimes funny, sometimes hard-hitting picture book, describing how he helps take care of disabled veteran Luis: "He went to war, and he came back home in so much pain that he couldn't live a normal life." Through engaging color photographs and a clear, compelling text, the book portrays the difficulties of a vet suffering from PTSD: "I even sleep with him, which helps control his nightmares. He has daytime nightmares, too, called flashbacks. He gets nervous when people are around ... or there are sudden movements ... or loud sounds." Readers also learn fascinating facts about service dogs: dogs can "hear human heartbeats," so Tuesday can tell from Luis's breathing and heartbeat whether he is calm enough to start walking somewhere in the city or if he needs some more time before setting off. Montalvan doesn't shy away from the nitty-gritty details, even showing Tuesday waiting patiently on a bathroom stall floor ("Yes, even there. I told you: Luis takes me everywhere") and getting a chance to water a fire hydrant himself. An appended author's note explains more about Luis's condition and Tuesday's training. Children, even if initially just drawn in by the adorable dog pictures, will come away with a much greater understanding of the lives of both a returning vet and a service dog. SUSAN DOVE LEMPKE
Lempke, Susan Dove
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lempke, Susan Dove. "Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog." The Horn Book Magazine, Sept.-Oct. 2014, p. 134. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A382084610/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=74ff5a17. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A382084610
Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog
Erin Anderson
Booklist. 110.18 (May 15, 2014): p48.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog. By Luis Carlos Montalvan and Bret Witter. May 2014.40p. Illus. Roaring Brook, $ 16.99 (9781596438910). 362.4. K-Gr. 3.
Montalvan, the best-selling author of the adult memoir Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him (2011), is a 17-year army veteran and advocate for veterans with disabilities. Yet this is not his story but that of his golden retriever service dog, Tuesday. The sweet tale follows one perfect day in Tuesday's life, from the time he wakes Montalvan, to his helping his owner navigate the crowded streets and subways of New York City, to a fun trip to an amusement park and playtime with his friends. Tuesday himself relates how he was assigned to assist with the wounds Montalvan received during his two tours of duty in Iraq. The reciprocal loyalty and love between dog and owner is palpable and endearing, and photographs of Tuesday resting his head on his master's feet or taking a cab ride will delight dog lovers. Tuesday typifies the unbreakable bond between humans and canines and in a kid-friendly way, manages to dispel some of the stigma of posttraumatic stress disorder and invisible war wounds.--Erin Anderson
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Anderson, Erin. "Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog." Booklist, 15 May 2014, p. 48. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A371841599/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=854ccff5. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A371841599
Quoted in Sidelights: “with courage and strength” and “shows her family and friends how to go on, choosing happiness and love over fear.”
Until I Say Goodbye: My Year of Living with Joy
Publishers Weekly. 260.2 (Jan. 14, 2013): p50.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Until I Say Goodbye: My Year of Living with Joy
Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter. HarperCollins, $25.99 (368p) ISBN-978-00622-4145-0
Journalist Spencer-Wendel discovered she was ill when her left hand suddenly became withered. As she struggles to come to terms with knowing something is wrong--not wanting to find out, then not fully believing the doctor's ALS diagnosis--she writes with courage and strength. When she gets the news, the 40-something author is in her prime, blessed with a great reporter job at the Palm Beach Post and loving family. Using benefits from an insurance policy, she quits her job and decides to take trips with her family and friends, so that she can have all of the amazing experiences she's put off and create lasting memories. She goes to the final space shuttle launch with her youngest son, having never been to Cape Canaveral, even though her home is only hours away. A few months later, joined by her best friend, she sees the aurora borealis in the Yukon. It's there that Spencer-Wendel's philosophy plays out, as it does many times more, as she briefly caught the lights before tripping and missing the rest. She is appreciative and grateful for those few seconds and banishes regrets. There are certainly moments of heartbreak that she doesn't shy away from, such as when she goes shopping for bridal dresses with her reenaged daughter, knowing she'll miss any future wedding. Spencer-Wendel's life will sadly be cut short, but in writing her story, she shows her family and friends how to go on, choosing happiness and love over fear. (Mar.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Until I Say Goodbye: My Year of Living with Joy." Publishers Weekly, 14 Jan. 2013, p. 50. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A315370291/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5ab9fc1a. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A315370291
Until I Say Goodbye: A Book About Living
The Bookseller. .5556 (Dec. 14, 2012): p38.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Bookseller Media Limited
http://www.thebookseller.com
Full Text:
Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter
Until I Say Goodbye: A Book About Living
Two Roads, 14th, p/b, 13.99[pounds sterling], 9781444762198
Powerful memoir by a US wife and mother of three who, after being diagnosed with ALS, a terminal degenerative disease, sets out to make each day important and memorable for herself and her loved ones. This includes shopping for a wedding dress for her 14-year-old daughter, whose marriage she won't live to see. Film rights have been sold to Universal. BookScan N/R
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Until I Say Goodbye: A Book About Living." The Bookseller, 14 Dec. 2012, p. 38. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A313707075/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=540425c4. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A313707075
A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation
Publishers Weekly. 259.18 (Apr. 30, 2012): p127.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Stre ets to Salvation
Ted Williams, with Bret Witter. Gotham, $26 (256p) ISBN 978-1-592-40714-9
Homeless in 2011, ex-radio announcer Williams, aka "The Man with the Golden Voice," found overnight fame when a video of him holding a cardboard sign and panhandling on a street corner went viral. Within days, Williams was a guest on major network talk shows and juggling job offers, with the original video scoring more than 40 million hits in the months that followed. But during the 20 years that crack cocaine was Williams's "constant companion," his life was a raw wound. Teaming with bestselling author Witter (Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched a Nation), he documents peaks, pitfalls, wild ways, a failed marriage, self-destruction, depression, drugs, thefts, arrests, backsliding, and rehab. Born and raised in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant, the Army was his ticket out of the projects. On Columbus, Ohio, radio stations in the 1980s, he used his voice "to make it feel like a nonstop party for a million people" and became the area's charismatic popular DJ despite heavy drinking. Going into a downward spiral, he lived in shelters, crack houses, and the street. In the woods behind a grocery store, his home was a tent he made by taping children's raincoats together. The notion of a "second chance at life" generated a huge interest in Williams, and those who followed last year's media accounts of his struggles will appreciate the insights and brutal honesty expressed in this powerful career comeback story. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation." Publishers Weekly, 30 Apr. 2012, p. 127. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A288536876/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=133d3f20. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A288536876
A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation
Carol Haggas
Booklist. 108.16 (Apr. 15, 2012): p17.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation. By Ted Williams and Bret Witter. May 2012. 260p. Gotham, $26 (9781592407149). 973.920.
"Will talk for food." Not the typical street-sign plea for help, but, then again, Williams wasn't the typical homeless panhandler. Once one of the most recognizable and vibrant radio personalities in Columbus, Ohio, Williams plummeted from the pinnacle of fame to the pits of degradation when he became a crack addict. He suffered a litany of losses, from his home and family to his career and, most critically, his self-respect. With nothing other than his trademark "golden voice" to barter for the money he needed to survive on the streets, and feed his habit, Williams planted himself at a busy intersection and hoped someone would notice. The YouTube video of Williams making good on his sign's promise immediately went viral, and suddenly Williams was back in the spotlight. In stark, unflinching terms, Williams, with assistance from Witter (Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat, 2010), tells the story of how he won and lost his own version of the American dream, describing his crippling addiction through often uncomfortably graphic episodes of utter degeneration and despair.--Carol Haggas
Haggas, Carol
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Haggas, Carol. "A Golden Voice: How Faith, Hard Work, and Humility Brought Me from the Streets to Salvation." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2012, p. 17. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A287956567/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=9410660d. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A287956567
Until Tuesday
California Bookwatch. (Aug. 2011):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Full Text:
Until Tuesday
Luis Carlos Montalvan with Bret Witter
Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023-6298
9781401324292, $22.99, www.hyperionbooks.com
UNTIL TUESDAY: A WOUNDED WARRIOR AND THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER WHO SAVED HIM provides the story of former Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan, who survived a traumatic brain injury and other wounds during war and found himself unable to reenter civilian life. His physical and emotional wounds left him crippled and secluded from the world--until a golden retriever trained as a service dog for veterans changed his life. A powerful story of mutual recovery evolves in a fine recommendation for any general lending library.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Until Tuesday." California Bookwatch, Aug. 2011. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A264677871/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e53ccbeb. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A264677871
Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him
Colleen Mondor
Booklist. 107.18 (May 15, 2011): p7.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him.
By Luis Carlos Montalvan and Bret Witter.
May 2011. 272p. Hyperion, $22.99 (9781401324292). 362.4092.
As troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan with an increasing number of PTSD symptoms, books such as this provide solace and hope. In graphic and wrenching detail, Montalvan describes his devastating combat injuries in Iraq and deep disappointment over how the war was prosecuted. He also shares the parallel story of his service dog, Tuesday. Stories of dogs assisting people are not unusual, but Montalvan's willingness to share his personal struggle makes for a gripping, timely, and poignant tale. He does not mince words as he chronicles the resistance of those who didn't think he was injured enough for an assistance dog and how those incorrect assumptions brought undue harm to him and others like him. A clarion call to all who profess to care about our veterans and an intense reminder of just how high a price they have already paid, Montalvan's mixture of memoir, military history, and pet story results in an urgently important tale.--Colleen Mondor
YA: A perfect title for the many teens with a family member returning from combat. CM.
Mondor, Colleen
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Mondor, Colleen. "Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him." Booklist, 15 May 2011, p. 7. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A257511636/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8d7ff8a1. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A257511636
Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
Eva Lautemann
Library Journal. 135.19 (Nov. 15, 2010): p83.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions. Dutton. 2010. c.320p. photogs. ISBN 9780525951865. $19.95. PETS
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
After the heartwarming Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, Myron had no intention of writing more. However, after receiving touching letters from readers relating stories of their own cats, she decided they should be shared. Selecting those to include wasn't easy, but she chose nine stories reflecting the same values used to describe Dewey--hard work, community, and perseverance. Featured is a tale from a citizen of Spencer, IA, who had a special relationship with Dewey as well as her own Tobi. Others include a single mother from Alaska who on Christmas Eve saved a drowning kitten dubbed Christmas Cat; a mother and daughter who adopt Cookie, a kitten needing medical attention who later becomes a watchful companion when the mother is ill; and Myron's most personal story about her new husband, his cat, Rusty, and their mutual cat, Page Turner. VERDICT Readers will be giving their own best friends a big chin scratch as they feel the Dewey magic throughout these pieces filled with laughter and tears. The original volume's numerous fans will, be just as taken with this follow-up.--Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter COIL, Clarkston
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Lautemann, Eva
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lautemann, Eva. "Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions." Library Journal, 15 Nov. 2010, p. 83. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A242509408/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7b7319f8. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A242509408
Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
Publishers Weekly. 257.33 (Aug. 23, 2010): p42.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. Dutton, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-525-95186-5
Dewey Readmore Books, the cat discovered in the book return slot at the Spencer, Iowa, public library that rose to fame in the bestseller Dewey, returns with his latest adventures. A preternaturally charming and lovable cat with a knack for knowing which people need comfort, Dewey touched the hearts of countless readers, many of whom wrote to Myron about their own pets. This book includes the stories of Myron's correspondents and their pets' antics and remarkable feats: we meet a "church cat;" a Florida resort populated by 28 feline guests; the "pantherlike" Spooky who survives an encounter with an owl; and Barbara Lajiness, who battles cancer with the emotional support of her companion, Mr. Kittens. We meet Glenn Albertson, who, after a long string of romantic bad luck, befriends--and later falls in love with--the author, their bond a shared love for cats. Captivating and uplifting, these personal stories will appeal to the legions of Dewey's fans who will be glad for another chance to make his acquaintance. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions." Publishers Weekly, 23 Aug. 2010, p. 42. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A236248271/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=56e32cd8. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A236248271
Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat
Linda Perkins
Booklist. 106.18 (May 15, 2010): p36.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat.
By Vicki Myron and Brett Witter.
May 2010. 224p. Little, Brown, $15.99 (9780316068710). 636.80092. Gr. 4-8.
From the opening chapter, when librarian Vicki Myron finds a fragile, freezing kitten in the book return, children will be hooked on her heartwarming story about Dewey Readmore Books. Eliminating most of Myron's personal story as well as observations on economic and social change found in the adult book on which it was based, this shorter children's adaptation focuses squarely on Dewey. His job description, a list of his likes and dislikes, and other funny pieces from the original reappear here. Anecdotes such as Dewey's fascination with rubber bands, his bizarre behavior during a bat invasion, and his finicky eating habits are ideal booktalk material. So are descriptions of Dewey's tender, intuitive interactions with people of all ages and backgrounds. Final chapters cover Dewey's declining health and eventual death with grace and sensitivity. Part cat story, part library story, this appealing adaptation will charm even reluctant readers.--Linda Perkins
Perkins, Linda
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Perkins, Linda. "Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat." Booklist, 15 May 2010, p. 36. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A227651681/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=00e774d8. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A227651681
Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story
Publishers Weekly. 257.18 (May 3, 2010): p51+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story
Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. Little, Brown, $16.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-316-06871-0
Librarian Myron's popular adult memoir, Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, about the adopted cat who became the mascot of her Iowa library, finds yet another life in this middle-grade adaptation, which also follows Myron and Witter's 2009 picture book version. At its core, the story--Spencer Public Library staff and patrons rally around the tiny ginger-colored kitten abandoned in the book drop on a freezing winter's night--remains as heartwarming as ever. Young animal lovers, especially, will enjoy learning about how the cat, Dewey Readmore Books, endeared himself to library visitors (he was always happy to receive a petting or to nap on welcoming laps) and how his fame spread nationally and beyond U.S. shores thanks to profiles in various cat publications. Myron's friendly and pleasantly pragmatic voice, as well as her mostly judicious selection of anecdotes, brings poignancy to the tale of her special bond with Dewey. Her story also offers readers another bit of insight into how animals and humans can emotionally enrich each other's lives. Ages 8-12. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story." Publishers Weekly, 3 May 2010, p. 51+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A225740009/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=82f19185. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A225740009
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
James Burcalow
Military Review. 90.3 (May-June 2010): p137+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 U.S. Army CGSC
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/
Full Text:
THE MONUMENTS MEN: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, Robert Edsel with Bret Witter, Center Street Hachette Book Group, New York, 2009, 457 pages, $26.99.
Reading more like a whodunit novel than historical nonfiction, Robert Edsel's The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, tells the story of the Nazis' theft and concealment of Europe's art treasures during World War II and the subsequent Allied recovery efforts. Actual campaigns and battles serve as a backdrop to the search and recovery of the stolen treasure.
The theft of art is as old war itself and continues to be relevant in today's crises. The authors make extensive use of first person interviews; public and private historical collections; and books, articles, and other research. As the title indicates, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History tells the story of the birth and maturity of a little-known World War II Allied unit called the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) section, which was eventually comprised of personnel from both British and American commands. MFAA drew its staff from fine arts academia and servicemen from across America whose expertise included museum directors, curators, art scholars and educators, artists, architects, and archivists. The telling of their remarkable stories is long overdue.
The Nazis planned and executed the theft of Europe's art treasures to satisfy Adolf Hitler's vision of Germany as the world's center of great art. Even though the Nazis were anti-Semitic, it did not prevent them from making their first theft target the great European Jewish art collections. In the end, the Monuments Men were successful in recovering and returning a significant amount of treasure to the rightful owners. However, many priceless pieces have still not been recovered and some were unfortunately destroyed (including the fabled Russian Amber Room).
Recent experiences of looting at the Iraqi National Museum in 2003 seem to support creating a permanent U.S. Department of Defense organization similar to the MFAA. At a minimum, protecting cultural treasures and artifacts would require increased emphasis during operational planning and execution as part of full spectrum operations.
The Monuments Men reads like a contemporary mystery novel. The story is fact-based and well worth the reader's time and attention.
James Burcalow, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Burcalow, James
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Burcalow, James. "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History." Military Review, May-June 2010, p. 137+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A242509777/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=11f055c1. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A242509777
Dewey There's a Cat in the Library!
Children's Bookwatch. (Oct. 2009):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Full Text:
Dewey There's a Cat in the Library!
Vicki Myron & Bret Witter
Steve James, illustrator
Little, Brown & Company
c/o Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
9780316068741, $16.99, www.lb-kids.com
"Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library" is a wonderful story about a kitten who was found in the library in Spencer, Iowa, who became Dewey Readmore Books. Dewey explores the library and plays, and tolerates the library's smaller visitors who don't always pet him in the right direction. But his real mission as a library cat is to help people, he decides. Dewey is determined to be helpful, but one little sad girl seems quite hard to reach. Fortunately Dewey is up to the challenge and he ends up being silly to cheer her up, which works quite well indeed. "Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library" is a gentle tribute to both the cat, and libraries everywhere. The large page realistic illustrations warm the tale to its happy conclusion. "Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library" is suitable for children age 4 and up.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey There's a Cat in the Library!" Children's Bookwatch, Oct. 2009. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A209903689/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=07193e8b. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A209903689
Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
Publishers Weekly. 256.36 (Sept. 7, 2009): p43.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
Vicki Myron and Bret Witter, illus, by Steve James. Little, Brown, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-06874-1
This genial if cutesy adaptation of the authors' bestselling Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World gets an energetic boost from James's digitally rendered art. Animal-loving readers will be charmed by the realistic, closeup depictions of young library patrons and their tender (and sometimes not-so-tender) interactions with Dewey, who is based on a real-life feline adopted by Myron after it was abandoned in the book drop of her Iowa library. The narrative becomes overly precious, though, when it ventures inside Dewey's head: "'Babies are wonderful,' Dewey thought. "Cute and SMELL-icious, too." And as he joins story hour he thinks, "Wowzy whiskers, this looks fun." Despite being manhandled by some young patrons, the cat confides to his toy mouse that he is determined to help people ("I'm ninety-two percent convinced that that's the reason I'm around") and makes good on his promise by cheering up a sad girl who's reading alone. He then proclaims himself a "REAL library cat," which (the story concludes, on a well-worn note) "felt ... purr-fect!" Ages 3-6. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!" Publishers Weekly, 7 Sept. 2009, p. 43. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A207705151/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=afd721bf. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A207705151
Quoted in Sidelights: “beguiling, poignant, and tender tale of survival, loyalty, and love,”
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Carol Haggas
Booklist. 104.22 (Aug. 1, 2008): p20.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
* Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.
By Vickl Myron and Bret Witter.
Sept. 2008. 277p. Grand Central, $19.99 (9780446407410). 636.809.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Her first thought upon hearing a strange sound coming from the book drop one frigid January morning was "this can't be good" In fact, for both the tiny kitten found shivering in the metal box's corner and for Myron, director of the Spencer Public Library, the discovery was the best thing that ever happened to either of them, and to the tiny Iowa farming community beset by an unrelenting string of economic challenges. Filthy and frostbitten, the kitten was in dire need of massive doses of TLC; fortunately, the library staff, patrons, and townspeople had plenty to spare. The story of how a bedraggled orange fur ball became "Dewey Readmore Books," an enchantingly irresistible library mascot capable of bringing international attention to a small midwestern town and melting the heart of even the most curmudgeonly visitor, is uplifting enough; but woven among the cute-cat anecdotes are Myron's own inspirational stories of enduring welfare, the abuses of an alcoholic husband, breast cancer, and single motherhood. Myron's beguiling, poignant, and tender tale of survival, loyalty, and love is an unforgettable study in the mysterious and wondrous ways animals, and libraries, enrich humanity.--Carol Haggas
YA/S: For teens who love animal stories. CH.
Haggas, Carol
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Haggas, Carol. "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2008, p. 20. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A183983411/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=48969a3c. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A183983411
Quoted in Sidelights: “to a degree that can strain credulity,”
“a tribute to a cat” and “a love letter to libraries.”
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Heart of the World
Publishers Weekly. 255.30 (July 28, 2008): p65.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Heart of the World
Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. Grand Central, $19.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-446-40741-0
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 Dewey Readmore 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. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the Heart of the World." Publishers Weekly, 28 July 2008, p. 65. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A182126147/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f6f42b00. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A182126147
Quoted in Sidelights: “charming and heartwarming story of an extraordinary feline.”
Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Eva Lautemann
Library Journal. 133.12 (July 1, 2008): p101+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. Grand Central. Sept. 2008. c.277p, photogs. ISBN 978-0-446-40741-0. $19.99. PETS
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
One freezing night in 1988, an eight-week-old kitten was left in the book drop of the Spencer Public Library in Iowa. Head librarian Myron immediately fell in love with him, as did the rest of the library staff, and this is how Dewey Readmore Books became the Spencer library cat. Dewey grew into a handsome feline, making many friends in his 19 years at the library by sitting in many laps and greeting library visitors at the door with an uncanny knack for knowing just who needed his affections--children, the elderly, and those on the fence regarding a library cat. Dewey's fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and, amazingly, worldwide. Some of the most moving parts of this memoir express the intense, special bond that Dewey had with Myron, who survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. This charming and heartwarming story of an extraordinary feline will be welcomed by cat lovers and all librarians who wish they had a library cat. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/08.l--Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Clarkston, GA
Lautemann, Eva
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Lautemann, Eva. "Myron, Vicki with Bret Witter. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World." Library Journal, 1 July 2008, p. 101+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A182034453/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=60b487ab. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A182034453
Myron, Vicki & Brett Witter. Dewey's Christmas at the Library
Linda Israelson
School Library Journal. 56.10 (Oct. 2010): p75.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MYRON, Vicki & Brett Witter. Dewey's Christmas at the Library. illus, by Steve James. unpaged. Little, Brown. Oct. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06872-7. LC number unavailable.
K-Gr 3--It's Dewey's first Christmas. The library cat has no idea what he's in for, but he sure loves all those decorations and fake tree branches. Inspired by a true story, Dewey's antics are portrayed with authentic liveliness in James's digitally painted artwork, which looks like watercolor and ink. This well-paced, engaging story is a standout among picture books featuring library settings, and it is sure to enhance holiday-themed programs.--Linda Israelson, Los Angeles Public Library
Israelson, Linda
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Israelson, Linda. "Myron, Vicki & Brett Witter. Dewey's Christmas at the Library." School Library Journal, Oct. 2010, p. 75. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A238829966/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c50545ad. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A238829966
Montalvan, Luis Carlos with Bret Witter. Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog
Susan E. Murray
School Library Journal. 60.5 (May 2014): p150.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MONTALVAN, Luis Carlos with Bret Witter. Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog. photos by Dan Dion. 40p. Roaring Brook. May 2014. RTE $16.99. ISBN 9781596438910.
K-Gr 4--Tuesday is a service dog for Montalvan, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, among other disabilities, and knows exactly how and when to soothe him. Tuesday is always with his owner, supporting him as he goes down stairs or riding with him in cabs. The book is told from the dog's point of view and narrated in a calm, easy-to-understand tone ("I even sleep with him, which helps control his nightmares"). The book is humorous but also portrays the sometimes-depressing reality of Montalvan's life. It documents their daily activities, including going to the veteran's hospital. There are special treats, too, such as an ice-cream cone at Coney Island. Readers see the close bond between the two and how they care for each other. Crisp, full-page, full-color photographs make evident this strong bond and show their busy life in New York City. The book concludes with an informational note from Montalvan that explains more about his disabilities and how much freedom Tuesday has given him. He also talks briefly about the organization that trained Tuesday. A well-written, informative book for both school and public libraries.--Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ
Murray, Susan E.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Murray, Susan E. "Montalvan, Luis Carlos with Bret Witter. Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond between a Soldier and His Service Dog." School Library Journal, May 2014, p. 150. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A367299026/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=27d583d2. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A367299026
Myron, Vicki and Witter, Bret with James, Steve: Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
Rosemary Woodman
School Librarian. 58.3 (Autumn 2010): p158.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
Full Text:
Myron, Vicki and Witter, Bret with James, Steve
Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
Simon & Schuster, 2010, pp32, 5.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 84738 814 8
Based on a true story, a small marmalade kitten arrives in the return box of the library in Spencer, Iowa, USA, one cold winter night. Adopted by librarian Vicki Myron and affectionately named Dewey Readmore Books, he quickly establishes himself as the library cat. Dewey's playfulness, inquisitiveness and affectionate nature win him friends throughout the establishment. Dewey is particularly popular with the library's youngest visitors and seems to have a natural gift of empathy for those who need encouragement. The therapeutic advantage of animals in social centres is well-known and the real-life Dewey spent 16 happy years in Spencer Public Library.
The attractive full colour illustrations have a photographic quality while the children reflect a variety of backgrounds. Paw print end papers are well-matched to this heart-warming story. A slightly retro cover doesn't do justice to the story. The observation that Dewey 'read with the mummies and grandmas [and] helped the daddies work' may well be true but could be interpreted as gender stereotyping in a 21st century library. Nonetheless this is an endearing read which will appeal to children under eight and librarians/catlovers of all ages.
Rosemary Woodman
Woodman, Rosemary
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Woodman, Rosemary. "Myron, Vicki and Witter, Bret with James, Steve: Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!" School Librarian, Autumn 2010, p. 158. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A242961954/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=3994ec5f. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A242961954
Myron, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat
Kara Schaff Dean
School Library Journal. 56.6 (June 2010): p134+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MYRON, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat. 224p. Little, Brown. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-316-06871-0. LC number unavailable.
Gr 4--8-Myron's best seller about the resident cat at the Spencer Public Library in Iowa has been adapted for middle grade readers. The references to most of the author's personal problems, which peppered her adult book, have been removed, and Dewey's story stands on its own. The anecdotes remain the same, with some concessions made to the experiences of younger readers: explaining, for instance, who All and Spuds McKenzie were, or pointing out that "back in the day" TV cartoons were only seen on Saturday mornings. Dewey's special brand of "pay-it-forward" love has immense appeal, and fans of animal stories will immediately gravitate toward the book, with its handsome reproduction of the feline's now-famous portrait on the cover. As Myron's anecdotes show, the joy and comfort that Dewey provided to countless patrons over 18 years was not something that could be cataloged, or indexed, or highlighted in a trustee's report. But it was real and evident to the staff and library regulars. Dewey will no doubt have young readers pining for their own library cats, but astute readers will also pick up on the message that a town's heart beats strongest in its library.--Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA
Dean, Kara Schaff
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Dean, Kara Schaff. "Myron, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat." School Library Journal, June 2010, p. 134+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A228715708/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e417ba63. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A228715708
Art Rescuers after World War II: The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
Jonathan Yardley
Biography. 33.1 (Winter 2010): p302.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 University of Hawaii Press
http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/t-biography.aspx
Full Text:
Art Rescuers after World War II The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. New York: Center Street/Hachette, 2009. 473 pp. $26.99.
"It's a somewhat problematic book: There's a great deal of conversation, and Edsel's acknowledgement that 'I have taken the liberty of creating dialogue for continuity, but in no instance does it concern matters of substance and in all cases it is based on extensive documentation' is not entirely convincing. But it's a terrific story, and it certainly is good to give these men (and that one remarkable woman) their due."
Jonathan Yardley. WP, Oct. 12-18, 2009: 38.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Yardley, Jonathan. "Art Rescuers after World War II: The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History." Biography, vol. 33, no. 1, 2010, p. 302. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A227797949/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e83c1b99. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A227797949
Myron, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!
Beth Cuddy
School Library Journal. 55.9 (Sept. 2009): p145.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
MYRON, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library! illus. by Steve James. unpaged. Little, Brown. Sept. 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-068741. LC number unavailable.
K-Gr 2--This heartwarming picture book is based on the authors' adult title, Dewey (Grand Central, 2008). It describes how on a cold night Myron found a tiny kitten in the return box at Spencer Public Library in Iowa, and the feline's impact on the library community. Dewey Readmore Books overcame unpleasant encounters with young children who picked him up upside down or petted him the wrong way and settled in, "happy" to help people. The realistic illustrations, done in vibrant watercolors, bring the tale to life (the orange cat's expressions are priceless). The story moves along swiftly, and will be a hit with readers requesting animal books.--Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY
Cuddy, Beth
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Cuddy, Beth. "Myron, Vicki & Bret Witter. Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library!" School Library Journal, Sept. 2009, p. 145. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A207944502/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4f67c933. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A207944502
Witter, Bret. Carnival Undercover
Jamie Watson
School Library Journal. 50.1 (Jan. 2004): p166.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2004 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
207p. illus. Plume. 2003. pap. $12. ISBN 0-452-28428-7. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School--Ladies and gentlemen! Step right up and learn the secrets of the midway! Arranged for beginners, this book first gives an overview of the carnival layout and the psychology behind it. The section on food contains a brief history of the common items, as well as recipes for funnel cakes. In "Midway Games Revealed," the odds of winning are shared, though how these were determined isn't clear. More importantly, the kicks to the games are exposed--once one knows the physics of the can toss, it is easier to capture the giant stuffed animal that comes with the win. A brief history of roller coasters and other rides follows. Finally, a brief and respectful history of sideshow ads and their secrets is shared, with plenty of warnings against attempting these tricks at home. "A Field Guide to Carnies" is less successful, and the accompanying cartoons are a bit stereotypical. Otherwise, this is a great introduction for those who just want to know the way things work at carnivals and fairs.--Jamie Watson, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore
Watson, Jamie
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Watson, Jamie. "Witter, Bret. Carnival Undercover." School Library Journal, Jan. 2004, p. 166. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A112483455/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e32d96ae. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A112483455
‘Stronger’ by Jeff Bauman with Bret Witter
2
Jeff Bauman writes of the Marathon bombings, his brushes with sports stars, police officers, media personalities, and more.
JOSH HANER/THE NEW YORK TIMES
Jeff Bauman writes of the Marathon bombings, his brushes with sports stars, police officers, media personalities, and more.
By Ethan Gilsdorf GLOBE CORRESPONDENT APRIL 15, 2014
How long is long enough to wait? What amount of time needs to pass before the victim of an unexpected tragedy has sufficient perspective to tell a good, true tale?
I began to ask myself these questions even before I picked up “Stronger,” the memoir by Jeff Bauman, a Boston Marathon bombing survivor and Chelmsford native.
You may not remember Bauman’s name, but you would recognize his picture. The image of Bauman, his legs blown apart into what he calls “applesauce,” being frantically pushed in a wheelchair by a trio of rescuers — including one with a cowboy hat — instantly became one of the bombings’ iconic images.
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Now, as that day of infamy is commemorated, comes “Stronger.” It is not alone. At least a dozen Marathon bombing-themed books are being released, many smartly coinciding with the one-year anniversary. More are surely on the way.
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“Stronger” is a straightforward, plain-spoken effort. It opens with the book’s best writing: a vivid re-creation of the events of April 15, 2013. Then we move to Bauman’s injury, his identification of Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a chief suspect for the FBI, and the wrenching aftermath of his recovery.
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The Boston Marathon bombings
Kathy Whittemore looks at books about the Boston Marathon bombings, including “Stronger” by Jeff Bauman.
A conversational, first-person narrative (“I don’t like talking about personal stuff,” he says early on), “Stronger” brings together stray thoughts and everyday moments. Despite the catastrophic injury to his legs, Bauman insists he remembers every detail of that day — “It doesn’t get hazy after [the bomb blasts],” he writes. “It gets very clear.”
On that day, Bauman was a 27-year-old Costco worker, a regular guy, living a beer-drinking, sport-loving, video-game-playing, guitar-jamming life.
He attended the Marathon to cheer on his girlfriend, Erin Hurley, whom he had known for less than a year. Bauman is surprisingly candid in his portrayal of those in his inner circle, warts and all — his mother’s issues with drinking, for instance.
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Bauman introduces us to the likes of cousin Derek (“Big D’’), his stepmother “Big Csilla,’’ Costco boss Kevin “Heavy Kevy’’ Horst, and “best friend since third grade’’ Sully.
After the blast, we follow his brushes with sports stars, police officers, media personalities, reporters, doctors, and physical therapists. We also meet Carlos Arredondo, the cowboy-hat-wearing savior, who has his own sad story to share.
Adapting to his new life, and learning to walk using prosthetic limbs, the affable Bauman displays a range of emotion, from humor to heartbreak — also bitterness and cynicism. He reluctantly embraces his role as an inspirational “Boston Strong” symbol. As two Boston sports teams make their playoff runs, Bauman is asked to make appearances at TD Garden and Fenway.
“Did the Boston Bruins really want to do something nice for Jeff Bauman the human being? Or did they want him to be a prop? Something they could use to make a crowd of people cheer?” Touché. He feels he’s being used. “Look at Jeff, isn’t he adorable? Look at Jeff, isn’t he brave? Look at Jeff, he’s a symbol. He’s a marketing tool.”
Bauman discusses Erin’s reluctance to have “Strong” published, fearing a loss of the couple’s privacy. He recounts a conversation with his agent, who tells him: “If I wanted to write a book, and I wanted people to read it, I had to write it now. While the memory is fresh, he said. He meant the world’s memory, not mine.”
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While he is not particularly thoughtful, Bauman’s periodic displays of insight can take the reader by surprise. When family visits him in the hospital after his surgery, he writes, “They hated looking at the blanket, where the shape of my body stopped too soon.”
Despite his physical and emotional struggles, he impresses the reader with his optimism. “I’ll always be different,’’ he says. “That’s my life. But that doesn’t mean I’m not normal.”
“Stronger” is not merely a triumph-over-adversity story, but a love story. Bauman details his relationship struggles with his long-suffering girlfriend over his mood swings and commitment issues both before and after the bombings. Last month, Bauman announced he and Hurley were engaged and expecting a baby.
Bauman worked on the book with pen-for-hire Bret Witter (the coauthor behind numerous bestsellers, including “The Monuments Men,’’ which was recently turned into a movie). The “I” of an even partially ghostwritten memoir can raise the red flag of inauthenticity. While it is impossible to know how much Bauman wrote himself, the book exudes a sense of transparency and honesty.
Less charitable readers might accuse Bauman of cashing in quick. But perhaps “Stronger” needed to be told the same way that the events themselves unfolded: fast, rough, and unexpected, leaving behind lives utterly changed.
Ethan Gilsdorf, the author of “Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks,” can be reached at www.ethangilsdorf.com. Follow him on Twitter @ethanfreak.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Vicki Myron, with Bret Witter
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On a brutally cold January morning in 1988, librarian Vicki Myron found a barely alive, filthy little kitten in the library book drop in Spencer, Iowa. That discovery proved to be a stroke of luck for the kitten, who promptly got warmed, washed, fed and cuddled by Vicki. And what a beautiful orange and white kitten emerged from that initial care! The fortunate animal, dubbed Dewey Readmore Books, had a name that was almost as big as he was little. Though the library board wasn't wildly enthusiastic about the situation, they did give approval for Dewey to take up residence at the library.
Dewey was instantly at home in the 13,000 square-foot building that he was allowed to roam and explore at will. He made friends easily because he trusted everyone and had a gentle, kittenish way about him that was nearly impossible to resist. On weekends and holidays, Vicki took him home with her. Dewey spent weeknights alone in the quiet, darkened library, but he was in place each morning by the front door to give his right paw a tiny wave to Vicki as he watched her cross the street and head toward the library.
It wasn't long until Dewey, a very fussy eater, had the library staff spoiling him with different brands and flavors of cat food. Cats are creatures of habit, and Dewey quickly fell into a daily routine that involved, among other things, greeting patrons, attending meetings and napping frequently. He loved story hour almost as much as the youngsters did and attended one for the special needs children. He befriended a little handicapped girl named Crystal who delighted in his attention and affection. Dewey seemed to have a sixth sense --- the uncanny ability to zero in on who needed him most and give that person his undivided attention.
When the library underwent some remodeling work, Vicki took Dewey home for three weeks. He became captivated by open windows with screens, the sight and sound of birds, and the intriguing scent of fresh air. Returned to his library home, whose windows did not open after the construction was completed, Dewey became restless. He tried slipping out the front door, but too many pairs of eyes kept him in view. However, he did manage to slip out the back door one evening when the night janitor was taking out the trash, and for four days the library staff and a number of townsfolk hunted everywhere for him. Eventually he reappeared at the library, dirty, frightened and rather scuffed up. No one really knew what harm and/or horror had befallen Dewey during his few days of freedom, but he never again went too close to an open door.
Dewey never minded posing for the camera, and one thing led to another. His first professionally-taken photograph graces the front cover of this book, and it's quite easy to see why such a handsome animal should win photo contests, become the subject of newspaper articles, appear in cat calendars and become a rather famous feline. After all, not many cats have an entire book written about them.
Dewey spent 19 years at the library, and he certainly put Spencer, Iowa on the map. Although a few recent books have made household names out of two canines named Marley and Enzo, it's a pretty safe bet that before long Dewey's fame will have spread further and further abroad and his tale will become legendary for that most unique breed of felines --- the library cats.
Reviewed by Carole Turner on September 24, 2008
Dewey's Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions
by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
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Nine stories about cats of all kinds are told in DEWEY’S NINE LIVES. Author Vicki Myron responded to the overwhelming reaction to her first book, DEWEY, by compiling and sharing these stories of other unique cats and their owners. Each tale is different --- depending upon both the individual cat's personality and the circumstances of the owner --- but shares many similarities. In several instances, the cat owner experiences difficulties of some sort --- whether poverty, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, unemployment, or alienation and loneliness. It doesn’t matter if the cat is a cuddler, a watcher, a clown, a hunter, or a lapcat. Each holds an important role in the life of its owner or companion. And each human readily acknowledges the value and importance of the cat's companionship and affection.
The felines include, but are not limited to, Mr. Sir Bob Kittens, who does a strange karate-type dance while standing on his hind legs; Tobi, a very timid cat who remains in hiding unless her owner Yvonne is nearby; and Spooky, who likes motorcycle rides --- under 25 miles per hour, that is. Although cats are carnivorous, Cookie loves broccoli rabe. Rusty, a rather large cat, has a taste for people food and loves relaxing in a bathtub full of water. Anyone who has ever owned a cat will confirm that no two cats are alike, and the stories in this book are certainly proof of that.
At a resort on Sanibel Island, Flordia, Tabby rides in the basket of Mary Nan's bike. In the 1980s, Sanibel Island has an abundance of feral cats, and many of them end up at Mary Nan's. First, one cat shows up. Then another. Before long, she and her husband are running an unofficial feline shelter.
As a farmboy, Bill rescues animals and owns a pet raccoon. He volunteers for the army and serves in Vietnam, where he encounters the unspeakable side of war. He returns with post-traumatic stress disorder, which plagues him for many years. The only constant in his life is the little kitten that had somehow escaped the grip of an owl in flight and landed on Bill's car. He rescues the kitten, which he names Spooky. Many years later, Bill adds another kitten, Zippo, to the family. Both have feline AIDS.
Glenn is under the dashboard working on his old 1953 Studebaker Commander when he feels something land on his chest --- a small orange and white kitten. Glenn pets the kitten, which stretches out on his chest. It isn't frightened by the banging of tools, so Glenn continues to work on his car. An immediate bond is formed.
The stories here are as varied as the cats and their people. Also included is information about Dewey and Vicki's lives. The final chapter contains a very happy ending for Dewey's mom. And it's no great surprise that a cat is part of that story, too.
Reviewed by Carole Turner on October 12, 2010
Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him
by Luis Carlos Montalvan and Bret Witter
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"…I always smile when Tuesday and I sit on the stoop of my apartment building on West 112th Street, enjoying the warmth of the sun. I smile because even more than his training, it was Tuesday's personality that broke my shell and set me free."
Two tours of duty in Iraq left Captain Montalvan more traumatized than he ever would've thought possible. Physically a wreck and suffering from PTSD, he needed to recover from the heavy toll the war had exacted from him. Back home, he felt out of place, yet he could no longer serve in active duty. Unless he fortified himself with copious amounts of rum, social situations left him anxious and panicky. Even walking along the streets during the midday bustle made him extremely nervous. And just the thought of taking public transportation could send him into a downward spiral with hours, possibly days, of crippling headaches. Until Tuesday.
Through his years in Iraq, Montalvan grew frustrated with the military's lack of support. His unit needed more troops, better equipment, and the army standing resolutely behind them. Instead, they fought bad strategy, senseless regulations and an astonishing lack of honesty in addition to an enemy with highly unconventional battle techniques. Finally, disillusioned and wrung out, Montalvan filed his discharge papers. As a civilian once again, he found things no better. Not only did the American people view his disability with undisguised skepticism, the VA seemed to be everything but helpful. The final crushing blow, however, was his parents' lack of understanding. He hit bottom.
This wounded vet's turning point came when he learned of East Coast Assistance Dogs, or ECAD. They train dogs for many types of service, including soldiers who have lost limbs, have sensory disabilities, or need help coping. It is rigorous training, for both the dog and the veteran. In the end, though, it pays off with huge rewards.
Tuesday, a smiling Golden Retriever, had been through his own traumas. He bonded deeply with a prisoner in the Puppies Behind Bars program, but when his companion was transferred, Tuesday stayed behind. It was like tearing two brothers apart, but that was the way the system worked. For Tuesday, it was almost unbearable. His next couple of pairings didn't produce any better results.
So when Montalvan and Tuesday found each other, they cautiously let go of their doubts. It hasn't been an easy relationship, but the joy it has brought both man and dog is truly wonderful. Today they are inseparable. If you think you love your pet, just imagine that he is absolutely essential to your survival. That's how it is with Tuesday and Luis Carlos Montalvan.
Anyone who has ever run his hands through a dog's fur, felt the big sloppy kiss on his cheek, or gazed into the depths of their eyes will appreciate UNTIL TUESDAY. It is a heartwarming story of courage, immense bravery, companionship and, yes, love.
Reviewed by Kate Ayers on May 3, 2011
Quoted in Sidelights: “is both bittersweet and often surprisingly funny,” “continually remind readers that it’s okay to follow in Spencer-Wendel’s footprints and to approach her memoir with joy–fragile and complicated to be sure, but joy nonetheless.”
Until I Say Good-Bye: My Year of Living with Joy
by Susan Spencer-Wendel with Bret Witter
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Up until her early 40s, Susan Spencer-Wendel had what some might call a charmed life. She lived in Palm Beach, Florida, and had a successful career as a crime and justice reporter for the local paper. She had a gorgeous, devoted husband, three smart, funny kids, and many good friends. Then, just as she and her husband were on a romantic trip to Hawaii, it became clear that she couldn't just continue to ignore the symptoms she'd been having --- muscle weakness and atrophy, fatigue, slurred speech.
"UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE is both bittersweet and often surprisingly funny... [Such] moments not only provide levity in what otherwise could be a pretty downbeat read, they also continually remind readers that it's okay to follow in Spencer-Wendel's footprints and to approach her memoir with joy --- fragile and complicated to be sure, but joy nonetheless."
After months of hoping it was anything else, Spencer-Wendel was finally diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), a degenerative illness that results in progressive muscle deterioration, paralysis, and ultimately death. Like anyone else with a terminal illness diagnosis, she spent a time weeping and raging. But then she made a choice. She wasn't going to spend her remaining days of strength and mobility at endless doctor’s appointments. Instead, she made the deliberate decision to live with joy, taking as her mantra a quote from Dr. Seuss: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." She wants to give her friends and family members --- especially her children --- a chance to make lifelong memories of their time with her before her inevitable decline. She cashes in her life insurance policy, pays off the mortgage on their house, and decides to spend the year traveling.
These experiences include a trip to the Yukon to (attempt to) watch the Northern Lights with her best friend, an opportunity to take her children swimming with dolphins and see the final lift-off of the space shuttle, and a return with her husband to Hungary, where they lived during the first two years of their marriage. These travelogues are interesting essays in their own right, but become especially rich when readers remember just how much these travels near and far must mean to Spencer-Wendel and her loved ones.
Throughout the memoir, Spencer-Wendel's accounts of her travels offer glimpses not only into her family dynamics (which include an epiphany about her relationship with her adoptive mother) and on the daily indignities of living with advancing ALS, but also the author's reflections on other aspects of her life. These include her often conflicted thoughts about meeting her birth mother for the first time, as well as about parenting a child with Asperger's Syndrome.
UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE is both bittersweet and often surprisingly funny, such as when the author describes her horror that her birth mother might be a hippy or relates her one ill-fated attempt to smoke marijuana for pain relief. These moments not only provide levity in what otherwise could be a pretty downbeat read, they also continually remind readers that it's okay to follow in Spencer-Wendel's footprints and to approach her memoir with joy --- fragile and complicated to be sure, but joy nonetheless.
Reviewed by Norah Piehl on March 15, 2013