The Invasion: A Graphic Novel (Animorphs Graphix #1)

by K. A. Applegate, Michael Grant, Chris Grine (Illustrator)

Overview

The wildly popular, bestselling sci-fi series by Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant returns in a new full-color graphic novel series, adapted by Chris Grine.

Sometimes weird things happen to people. Ask Jake. He could tell you about the night he and his friends saw a strange light in the sky that seemed to be heading right for them. That was the night five normal kids learned that humanity is under a silent attack — and were given the power to fight back.Now Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco can transform into some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth. And they must use that power to outsmart an evil greater than anything the world has ever seen. . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338538090
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Series:	Animorphs Series
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	114,453
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	GN300L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

K.A. Applegate is the married writing team Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant. Their Animorphs series has sold millions of copies worldwide and alerted the world to the presence of the Yeerks. Katherine is also the author of the Endling series and the Newbery Medal–winning The One and Only Ivan. Michael is also the author of the Front Lines and Gone series.

CHRIS GRINE is the creator of the Eisner Award-nominated Chickenhare and Time Shifters. He’s been making up stories since he was a kid, and not just to get out of trouble with his parents. Nowadays, Chris spends most of his time writing and illustrating books, drinking lots of coffee, and sleeping as little as possible. He spends his free time with his wife, playing with his kids, watching movies, and collecting action figures (but only the bad guys).

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Animorphs:"[The Animorph books] were dark and witty and thrilling, endlessly inventive and achingly sad. They made me laugh out loud and cry myself to sleep. I've been thinking about them for twenty years." — The Paris Review"Engaging ... impressive." — School Library Journal"There's clearly something about Animorphs that has kept kids enthralled." — Publisher's WeeklyPraise for Chris Grine's Chickenhare:"An imaginative, outlandish and rollicking adventure."— Kirkus ReviewsPraise for Chris Grine's Time Twisters:"As satisfying and enjoyable as a big-budget animated sci-fi feature." — Kirkus Reviews"The clean backgrounds, dynamic perspectives panels, and bold linework emphasize action and physical comedy, but the story's thoughtful consideration of grief and destiny nicely counterbalances its wilder twists and turns." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

11/01/2020

Gr 4–7—The Animorphs are back! Based on Applegate's original hit series, this full-color graphic novel adaptation begins with Jake, Marco, Cassie, Tobias, and Rachel discovering that there are parasitic aliens, Yeerks, who are trying to take over the world. By pure chance, Jake and his friends are chosen to be the ones to fight back against the invaders and are entrusted with the power to morph into any animal that they touch. Crushed by the knowledge that their friends, family, and authorities could be hosts for the Yeerks, the friends struggle with the heavy responsibility of being the only ones who can save the world. Although the story is entertaining, it is the artwork that will have readers wanting more. Grine's characters are expressive (even the aliens), and the depictions of the friends morphing into and out of animal form are grotesquely amusing. Refreshingly, the kids are often reluctant to take on the role of heroes—Jake in particular struggles with the leadership position the rest of the group places on him, and Marco is adamant about not putting himself in danger because of his father's inability to recover from the death of his mother. Marco and Cassie are depicted with dark skin and hair, while Jake, Tobias, Rachel, and the majority of secondary and background characters are white. VERDICT Sure to be a hit, this looks to be a strong start to a new graphic novel series for young readers.—Amanda Melilli, Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas

School Library Journal

2020-08-18
After a night at the mall, a group of kids encounters an alien, forever changing their lives.

Jake, Marco, Tobias, Cassie, and Rachel cut through a construction site to make it home before curfew when a spaceship heading straight for them lights up the sky. They approach the ship and meet a dying Andalite who has just fled a Yeerk ambush. The Andalite, an alien with the power to morph, tells of the invasion the sluglike, parasitic Yeerks have planned for Earth. Other Andalites will come to help—but not for some time. Before his gruesome death, the Andalite bestows the children with the power to temporarily turn into any animal they wish, as long as they have first acquired its DNA via touch. Following their bizarre night, the group—with Jake as their reluctant leader—must decide whether or not to battle the Yeerks. The decision is made when they realize Jake’s brother has been taken over by a Yeerk. Determined to save their town, the group embraces their abilities and fights back. This text-heavy graphic novel is full of action-packed panels and detailed, realistic illustrations. The narrative is engaging and may encourage readers to learn about animals. However, the intensity of the murderous undertones may scare younger readers. Cassie and Marco are brown; the rest of the main cast is White.

A dark, bracing series opener. (Science fiction. 8-13)

Kirkus Reviews