Gr 2–4— A chihuahua named Ember the Mighty accompanies his human family, the Chins, on a vacation to Acorn Island in the sixth title in this series. Two other families and their pets—a frog named Sweet Pea, and a sheepdog named Izzy, accompany them. The Chin's other pets Neo (a canary) and Smelly Steve (a hamster), must stay behind with the pet sitter. Despite his plan to be a future dark overlord, Ember is nervous about the trip because the island is supposedly haunted by a giant evil chipmunk, the Monster of Acorn Island. As the families and their pets settle in, a series of mischievous behavior carried out by the Monster gets blamed on the dogs, who must come up with a plan to defeat the chipmunk. The plan? Ember must find a way to become just as scary! This series is a crowd pleaser with its endearingly earnest animal characters and gentle misadventures. This latest story explores feeling scared, acting bravely, and taking care our natural environment. Shiau Wei's friendly illustrations round out the appeal of this pitch-perfect early chapter book series. VERDICT Recommended for purchase where illustrated early chapter books are popular.