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Cat Pack #2
The Healing of Texas Jake
Texas Jake is on the mend...
and the fur is really flying.
Texas Jake, the big yellow tomcat, was badly injured saving his friends from the huge mastiff Bertram the Bad. Now the other cats in the Club of Mysteries are looking for ways to speed Texas Jake's recovery -- perhaps earn the right to take his place as leader of the club.
Marco and Polo have taken on the riskiest mission of all -- gathering some comfrey leaves to heal Texas Jake's wounds. The problem is, comfrey grows only at the city dump, and that's the turf of the dreaded Steak Knife and his gang. Steak Knife is rumored to have a collection of tails of his victims -- and not just mouse and bird tails either!
Soon the brothers are up to their whiskers in danger. Will Marco and Polo return with the goods -- and with their tails?
and the fur is really flying.
Texas Jake, the big yellow tomcat, was badly injured saving his friends from the huge mastiff Bertram the Bad. Now the other cats in the Club of Mysteries are looking for ways to speed Texas Jake's recovery -- perhaps earn the right to take his place as leader of the club.
Marco and Polo have taken on the riskiest mission of all -- gathering some comfrey leaves to heal Texas Jake's wounds. The problem is, comfrey grows only at the city dump, and that's the turf of the dreaded Steak Knife and his gang. Steak Knife is rumored to have a collection of tails of his victims -- and not just mouse and bird tails either!
Soon the brothers are up to their whiskers in danger. Will Marco and Polo return with the goods -- and with their tails?
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
3 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
247 books1,037 followersPhyllis Reynolds Naylor was born in Anderson, Indiana, US on January 4, 1933.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
Her family were strongly religious with conservative, midwestern values and most of her childhood was spent moving a lot due to her father's occupation as a salesman.
Though she grew up during the Depression and her family did not have a lot of money, Naylor stated that she never felt poor because her family owned good books. Her parents enjoyed reading stories to the children--her father would imitate the characters in Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer--and her mother read to them every evening, "almost until we were old enough to go out on dates, though we never would have admitted this to anyone."
By the time Phyllis reached fifth grade, writing books was her favorite hobby and she would rush home from school each day to write down whatever plot had been forming in her head - at sixteen her first story was published in a local church magazine.
Phyllis has written over 80 books for children and young people. One of these books, "Shiloh," was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1992, was named a Notable Children's Book by the American Library Association and was also Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Naylor gets her ideas from things that happen to her or from things she has read. "Shiloh" was inspired by a little abused dog she and her husband found. The little dog haunted her so much that she had to write a story about him to get it out of her mind.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 2, 2017
Texas Jake, the lead cat of the group, has been injured in a fight. The other cats, Marco, Polo, Elvis and Boots are talking about who will succeed TJ. Unfortunately, TJ and Carlotta overhear their ambitious talk and Texas Jake is offended. He decides that the cats need to prove their loyalty. So, Marco and Polo need to retrieve a plant from the dump that has healing power. But that means Marco and Polo have to take on Steak Knife and his vicious gang.
June 28, 2017
I think that the book is great but scary. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Carlotta's Kittens.
July 18, 2025
Steak Knife would definitely be in BloodClan! Also, Carlotta would make an amazing medicine cat/mediator!
September 12, 2012
The Healing of Texas Jake was awsome! Because it was keping me on the
edge of my seat.It was amazing because when Marco grabed the flower and
gave it to Texas he notised it was actuly poison!!But Marco did not
know.Because he was suposed to give Texas diferant kined of flower
so Texas thoght Marco was a trader!And when the over the hill gang
were at the Fish Mongo they were heded back to there home witch was
the junk yard.Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo were at the junk yard were
the over the hill gang club were heded when the over the hill gang
saw Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo at the junk yard Texes unleshed the
Dog were Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo were on the dog house.
edge of my seat.It was amazing because when Marco grabed the flower and
gave it to Texas he notised it was actuly poison!!But Marco did not
know.Because he was suposed to give Texas diferant kined of flower
so Texas thoght Marco was a trader!And when the over the hill gang
were at the Fish Mongo they were heded back to there home witch was
the junk yard.Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo were at the junk yard were
the over the hill gang club were heded when the over the hill gang
saw Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo at the junk yard Texes unleshed the
Dog were Texas,Elvis,Marco,and Polo were on the dog house.
October 3, 2010
This is the second in the Cat Pack series and I'm already feeling like it's formulaic. I'm tired of Texas Jake saying "...a cat who can reeaaad" in his snotty way. I'm tired of the way the relationships are not moving forward at all. I'm hoping the next book sees TJ learning a thing our two and there being some sort of redemption or resolution in the conflict. Logan is still enjoying it, which is why I gave it 3 stars. But I think even he is getting tired of TJ's attitude.
March 13, 2008
I really liked this children's book. It from a series called the Cat Pack and finds Marco, a member of the cat pack, challenging Steak Knife, the rival cat from the city dump who collects animal tails. It is clever and well written - the author is Phyllis Reynolds Naylor of Shiloh fame. This will go on my grandchildren to buy list.
July 15, 2013
The second in Naylor's Cat Pack series is great fun for the cat loving child in your life. It has a few rough bits with violent cat fights. Overall, there is little objectionable. I read it aloud to my six-year old and she loved it. The writing is simplistic, but Naylor captures the cats personalities and feline perspectives purrfectly.
September 18, 2015
I LOVED The Grand Escape when I was a kid, because, of course, it's a book about cats. And I was completely shocked and ecstatic to learn that there's THREE more I never knew about. And they are all as adorable as the first one.
August 31, 2008
Obviously, the series is very repetitive concerning the cats' adventures, characters, and discussions. Still, I enjoyed this series.
October 19, 2008
good book
November 3, 2011
so far so great!!
November 13, 2013
A cute story with some fun illustrations continuing the adventures of cat brothers Marco and Polo.
January 29, 2025
Read this to my third graders. They loved it!
February 18, 2023
At least I finally know what comfrey is
March 11, 2011
I love it. IT WAS SO FUN !!!
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February 27, 2017This is a great book like many other Phyllis Reynold's collection of great books
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews