Product Description

It is the coldest part of winter and all of the male cats in the Club of Mysteries -- which meets over Murphy's garage -- have one thing on their minds: Carlotta. Has anyone seen the she-cat that they all adore? Has she had her kittens yet? Because they all know that once Carlotta and her kittens appear, it will be their job not only to protect the young ones from the dangers of the world -- including being discovered and taken to the pound -- but also to teach them the skills they'll need to survive.

Elvis plans to teach them to sing. Polo will teach them to leap. Marco, of course, will teach them to read, and Texas Jake, the imposing leader of the Club, will teach them how to hunt. Underlying all of their efforts is each cat's secret hope that he will shine brightest in Carlotta's eyes.

But the male cats soon learn that Hamburger, Scamper, Mustard, Sugar, and Catnip (as the kittens are named) are more of a handful than they had expected.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1555618 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this third installment in the Club of Mysteries series, a follow-up to The Grand Escape and The Healing of Texas Jake, the feline heroes must protect the titular litter and find them homes. Ages 7-10.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Another installment about the members of the Club of Mysteries, a group of cats that occasionally leave their comfortable homes to meet in an old garage for companionship and adventure. This time, Carlotta brings her five kittens to the clubhouse and asks her friends to help her protect them and teach them useful skills before they set out on their own. With no prior parenting experience, the other felines are put to the test with the handful of squirmy, hungry, and astoundingly adorable kittens. This story is filled with love, danger, and humor, and has a satisfying ending. These characters may, in fact, be cats, but each one will have a voice and a face in readers' minds. Even though they can converse with one another, humans cannot understand them, giving the book a realistic flavor. A few black-and-white illustrations show the endearing characters interacting. Similar to Dick King-Smith's Martin's Mice (Crown, 1988) and Bill Wallace's Upchuck and the Rotten Willy (Minstrel, 1998), this story will appeal to fans of animal tales.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. This third offering in the Club of Mysteries series finds the male members of the club all assisting the she-cat, Carlotta, with her five new kittens. At first, they concentrate their efforts on feeding Carlotta and keeping her location a secret from the neighborhood bullies. Later, they help to teach the youngsters survival skills (Marco teaches reading; Polo, leaping; Texas Jake, hunting; and Elvis, singing), and find them a permanent home. As in the earlier titles, Naylor provides readers with plenty of adventure (including encounters with the gang's archenemies, Bertram the Bad and Steak Knife) before the kittens are safely delivered to their new residence, a home for the elderly. An added bonus are the humorous lyrics to some of Elvis' many lullabies. Give this to cat lovers and fans of the popular series. Kay Weisman
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