Animorphs are a series of young adult books written by K.A. Applegate. The books are in the science fiction genre and 54 were published between 1996 and 2001. The first 25 books were all written by K.A Applegate, while the majority of the second half of the books were written with the help of ghostwriters.
The books are written in the first person and revolve around six main characters (five humans and one alien) who gain the ability to morph into any animal that they have touched. They begin to call themselves animorphs as it is a portmanteau of “animal” and “morphers.” The Animorphs can only stay in form for two hours.
The characters are as follows: there is Jake–the leader, Marco–the comic relief, Tobias–who briefly loses his ability to morph back into a human, Cassie–a veterinarian in training, Rachel–the tough one and the alien, Aximili (Ax). When the books begin, the characters’ ages rage from 12-14 but by the last book, they are 19-20.
The young adults use their new powers to battle against an alien infiltration of Earth. These aliens are called Yeerks and are described as slug-like creatures with parasitic tendencies. They use host bodies to control and communicate. The main enemy is a Yeerk officer, named Esplin 9466.
The books have been translated into over 25 languages. In 1998, two major Animorphs spin-offs were released. A board game series called Animorphs: The Invasion Game. And a television series based on the books that was aired on Nickelodeon from 1998 until 2000. There were a total of 26 episodes.
The first five animorphs books:
- The Invasion
- The Animorphs #2: The Visitor
- The Animorphs #3: The Encounter
- Animorphs #4: The Message
- Animorphs #5: The Predator