Cat Tales

My latest book for fun: Dewey. This is the true story of a kitten abandoned in the drop box of the Spencer, Iowa, library on one of the coldest days of the winter. Dewey, as the gold tiger-striped cat became known, won the hearts of the entire town and even the nation. As I read this simple, quaint story about a cat living in the library, I couldn't help but get a warm-fuzzy feeling inside (which is not an every day occurance for this teacher who is finding herself more and more annoyed with people in general by the day). Even the cat-haters out there would, I think, be won over, at least in spirit, by this heart-warming tale. If you're looking for a fun, easy, read, I highly recommend. Beware, though, that the cat does die at the ripe of old age of 18 at the end. I will admit, I cried.

Another recent for-fun read (I've had a lot of time to read lately, taking tickets at freshman and reserve baseball games. I always bring papers to grade, but I can't take grading for that many hours in a row): The Book Thief. This is a fiction story about an orphan taken in by a German family during the Holocaust. It really highlights the power of the written word and the power of strong personal beliefs. Another book that I would highly recommend.