![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The epic tale, laid out across fifty-four books, has aliens and laser guns and shape-shifting. Beyond it’s campy plot premise, Animorphs is about the trauma of the young carrying the weight of previous generations mistakes it is about the pain and confusion of body dysphoria and the feelings of isolation and paranoia that come from keeping deadly secrets it is about the lie of benevolent paternalistic imperialism and it is a gory anti-war tragedy in which there are truly no such things as heros. The sci-fi world building of the series is undeniably fun, yes, and the kids do become animals, but that is far from the only thing the series has to offer. The covers of Animorphs may seem to be promising fun sci-fi adventures about kids turning into animals, but once they are opened, it very quickly becomes clear that this is not the case. Others started the first book only to find it too upsetting to finish. Some were chased away by the images on the cover of each book which depict children’s bodies shifting grotesquely into animal forms. Despite the prominence of these books in public children’s spaces, not many people seem to have actually read much of the series. They stood out on shelves with their bright colors, punchy summaries, and frankly disturbing cover art. ![]() For anyone who spent time in American libraries or classrooms in the mid-2000s, Katherine Applegate’s Animorphs books are probably a familiar sight. ![]()
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