Dawn of the Axolotl: a Branches Book (Pets Rule! #9)

By: Susan Tan

Published by Scholastic, Incorporated, 2026-08-04

Ember and his pet friends come face-to-face with the most bizarre pet yet: an evil axolotl!

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

Ember comes face-to-face with truly the strangest villain he's ever seen: a pink axolotl! With his weirdly cute face, at first glance, Arnold the axolotl appears to be super chill. Steve and Neo, the other Chin family pets, are eager to befriend the axolotl, but Ember's overlord instincts kick in when he thinks that Arnold is actually out to hypnotize his friends to make them his minions! Will Ember be able to thwart the evil axolotl's plans and save his friends from falling under Arnold's wicked spell?

With laugh-out-loud humor, engaging artwork on every page, and nonstop action that will have readers rushing to turn the pages, Pets Rule! is the just-right series for any emerging reader!