Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen friends morph, fight invaders in sci-fi mega series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Set in the '90s, ANIMORPHS finds Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, and Tobias, five fairly typical suburban middle schoolers, headed home from the mall when a spacecraft lands at an abandoned construction site on their route. Before meeting his gruesome doom, a mortally wounded alien has a lot to reveal, none of it good: Earth is under attack by a race of intergalactic parasites known as Yeerks, who take over the brains of their victims and force them to do their bidding—and they're everywhere. His own people, the Andalites, are trying to stop them, but reinforcements aren't coming for a long time, and the friends are on their own. However, the dying Andalite gives them something that may help: the power to transform into any animal whose DNA they collect, and use its powers. They dub themselves the Animorphs and work on their abilities, and Jake makes a wild plan to rescue his brother, one of the victims. Unfortunately, they also attract the attention of the Yeerk commander Visser Three, who is determined to kill them and won't hesitate to do whatever it takes.
Is It Any Good?
Reissued for a new generation, K.A. Applegate's dark, funny, action-packed and emotional 54-volume sci-fi epic from the '90s pits five transforming middle schoolers against a race of evil slug-like parasites from outer space. Launching spin-off books, graphic novels, and a TV series over the years, Animorphs returns for its original fans to share with their kids. As characters become creatures from African elephants to tiny rodents, they experience the world from a whole new perspective, and there's a lot of science packed into the fast-paced storytelling. Characters grapple with typical middle school troubles, enhanced by a lot of distrust as friends, family, and community members fall victim to the invaders and are forced to do their bidding. Each book, related by one Animorph, is a quick, exciting read that finds the friends facing ever-changing perils, struggling with ethics in impossible situations, and becoming a formidable team.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the theme of Earth being under attack by alien invaders from other planets is so popular. How does the Animorphs series compare to other treatments of this theme? Are aliens always mean and evil, as they are here?
Animorphs takes place in the late 20th century, when the internet, mobile phones, and a lot of technology weren't such a thing as they are now. How do you think the story would be different if it took place today?
Do you think it would be cool to be able to transform into other beings, or would you rather stay the way you are? Do the characters form empathy for any of the animals they morph into? Why do you think the authors want kid readers to be able to see through animals' eyes?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Activism ( Animal rights , Civic engagement ) , Adventures , Aliens , Animals ( Bugs , Cats , Dogs , Farm Animals , Fish , Horses , Mice , Ocean Creatures , Sharks , Wild Animals ) , Friendship , Space
- Character Strengths : Communication , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic
- Publication date : May 5, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 192
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : June 9, 2026
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