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The Invasion (Animorphs Book 1) Paperback – May 1, 2011
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- Print length192 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches
- PublisherScholastic Paperbacks
- Publication dateMay 1, 2011
- ISBN-100545291518
- ISBN-13978-0545291514
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Product details
- Publisher : Scholastic Paperbacks; Reprint edition (May 1, 2011)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 192 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0545291518
- ISBN-13 : 978-0545291514
- Reading age : 8 - 12 years, from customers
- Grade level : 3 - 7
- Item Weight : 5.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #380,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,819 in Children's Science Fiction Books (Books)
- #8,922 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)
- #15,526 in Children's Animals Books
- Customer Reviews:
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The Invasion (Animorphs Book 1)
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About the authors
#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); and SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books).
She’s written two early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); and DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, illustrated by Patricia Castelao (HarperCollins); THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, illustrated by Patricia Castelao (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); and WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN was made into a Disney movie starring Brian Cranston, Sam Rockwell, and Angelina Jolie.
Katherine lives in California, with her family and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties, Inc.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book enjoyable for all ages. They praise the engaging storyline with suspense and imagination. Readers appreciate the well-developed characters with complex personalities. The book keeps their attention throughout with its action-packed pacing and beautiful animal transformation scenes. The cool design and reading pace are also appreciated. Opinions differ on the book length - some find it 184 pages and 27 chapters, while others consider it short.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and fun for kids and adults. They say it's a classic series that blends body horror with children's fiction. The book is described as an epic tale about six kids who have to handle an entire universe.
"...But in the end, I found The Invasion to still be a fun read after all these years after growing up an Animorphs fan...." Read more
"...Animorphs cuts a fine line between body horror and children's fiction and it's an odd mix, but one that works pretty well...." Read more
"...This series provides so many relaxing and entertaining hours of reading. A classic series for our family." Read more
"...The series is one of those that can be enjoyed by almost any age bracket, deals with moral issues both simple and very complex, and how..." Read more
Customers enjoy the storyline. They find it fun, intense, realistic, and creepy. The plot is a blend of adventure, suspense, and feel-good moments. Readers mention it's perfect for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans, animal lovers, and action enthusiasts.
"...Animorphs cuts a fine line between body horror and children's fiction and it's an odd mix, but one that works pretty well...." Read more
"...the only people that die are the bad guys so it's definitely a feel good story for the most part." Read more
"...There are five main characters. It is a fiction book about aliens taking over the world. The boss of the aliens is known as Visser Three...." Read more
"...I highly recommend it if you're a Sci-Fi fan, a fantasy fan, animal-lover, and an action-oriented reader. Hope this review helps someone." Read more
Customers find the book imaginative and well-written. They appreciate the descriptive language and engaging storytelling that draws them in. The realistic story gives insight into the lifestyles of the animals the kids morph into. Readers appreciate the down-to-earth message and good, clean ideas that can be enjoyed by all ages.
"...There's just something so wonderful about the simple creativity of the concept..." Read more
"...The book was at a high level and very interesting to read. There are five main characters...." Read more
"...It has interesting, maybe complex personalities but their hearts are always where they should be...." Read more
"...of those that can be enjoyed by almost any age bracket, deals with moral issues both simple and very complex, and how relationships and wars affect..." Read more
Customers appreciate the characters' development. They find the characters interesting with complex personalities. The author creates a credible villain threat level and the animal transformation scenes are beautiful.
"...There are five main characters. It is a fiction book about aliens taking over the world. The boss of the aliens is known as Visser Three...." Read more
"...It has interesting, maybe complex personalities but their hearts are always where they should be...." Read more
"...narrator for the first book did an amazing job with all the many voices of characters and telling the story...." Read more
"...I liked the characters, and the alien storyline is sufficiently creepy...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing and action-packed story. They find it engaging, with beautiful animal transformation scenes and descriptions of being an animal.
"...to see how this story progresses and I have to say I love the descriptions of the shapeshifting and the feeling of being an animal...." Read more
"...it if you're a Sci-Fi fan, a fantasy fan, animal-lover, and an action-oriented reader. Hope this review helps someone." Read more
"This book series is great for my 9 year old. They keep him fully engaged throughout the book...." Read more
"...I recommend this to people of all ages. Creative and keeps your attention. On to the next book." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's design. They find the creature designs fantastic and describe the book as cool and intense.
"...Very cool and intense...." Read more
"...The creature designs are fantastic...." Read more
"Very cool looking book. Product arrived sooner than expected, which is always a good thing." Read more
"The story line is good and the cover is very fancy. However, this book is for younger kids...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's reading pace. They find it a quick, engaging read suitable for all ages.
"...and semi struggling, but after switching to Animorphs his reading has improved...." Read more
"Great story and super quick read. I recommend this to people of all ages. Creative and keeps your attention. On to the next book." Read more
"...It was the right difficulty level for him. Not difficult n not too easy." Read more
"Good quick read for my 9 year old...." Read more
Customers have different views on the book length. Some find it long with 184 pages and 27 chapters, while others say it's too short and their child may finish it. The book is considered the first in a long series.
"...Only downside is that it’s the first book in a very long series, so there was no real conclusion to the story." Read more
"I recommend this book. The book has 184 pages and 27 Chapters. The book was at a high level and very interesting to read...." Read more
"...I would caution that it is a short book and your child may finish it within a day depending on the time applied...." Read more
"My Nephew love's this series. There is a lot of books on this series. So he is getting new books every few weeks." Read more
Reviews with images
Alien Threats and Animal Transformations
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2012I was ten years old when this book was published but I didn't discover the series until one day in a school book fair. I was looking around and I saw book #7 with Rachel morphing a bear. It caught my eye and I bought it. By 2001 when the final book was published, I had read all but three the books. I was a huge fan of the series as a kid. As a new Kindle user, when I saw they were re-releasing the books on it, I thought, "Well, why not?" and bought the first book to read again. It was like reading it as a kid again.
Okay, okay. Enough of my nostalgia-induced story. Animorphs tells the stories of five teenagers (and later one alien) who are fighting to save Earth. Not from zombies, an environmental collapse, or an Earth-made problem but an alien invasion by the Yeerks. The five teens--Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, and Marco--are walking home one night from a local mall when they happen to encounter a doomed Andalite and his ship. The Andalites, a human- and deer-like hybrid with a deadly tail, had come to Earth to stop the Yeerks, a parasitic race of aliens capable of enslaving someone and taking control of them completely. As Controllers, it's impossible to tell who is or isn't one. Unfortunately, the Andalites force sent to fight were all but wiped out soon enough. The Andalite prince, Elfandor, crash lands and gives the main characters the ability to morph any animal they acquire the DNA from to fight back.
Book #1, The Invasion, mainly deals with the characters deciding if they really want to get involved in this war--a war they easily could get killed in....or worse. It's something I never really noticed as a kid that that was a nice chunk of the book. It's actually not until later in the book that any "real" action directed at the Yeerks by the Animorphs begins. They don't get their powers and then suddenly jump into fighting. It's kind of realistic because given the characters are pretty young, why would they want to get involved or at least not be all gung-ho about it. Of course that's not to say most of the novel is just talking because it isn't. Each character has a definite personality of their own.
They also fixed some plot holes in this and updating a few things so I assume they'll be giving the rest of the series the same treatment. One thing I did notice though is quite a few grammar errors. Not just one or two either. One example is even at the beginning of a chapter. I believe the character meant to say "Ah" but somehow they forgot to include the "h" so it just read "A." I wish they had made sure to correct those and make sure there weren't any. It wouldn't have been difficult. This isn't a Stephen King novel where they would have had to go through somewhere of upwards of a 1,000+ pages.
But in the end, I found The Invasion to still be a fun read after all these years after growing up an Animorphs fan. Whether your buying this for yourself or for your kids, it's worth a buy.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2022I'm in my mid-twenties and I'm just now reading these for the first time after seeing the books on the shelf in the public library as a kid. Bow I wish I would have picked them up a lot sooner. Animorphs cuts a fine line between body horror and children's fiction and it's an odd mix, but one that works pretty well. This is definitely a book written for and geared towards a young audience, but even as an adult I enjoyed the first book immensely. There's just something so wonderful about the simple creativity of the concept (I mean, who hasn't wished they could turn into an animal at least at some point in their life). I'm very curious to see how this story progresses and I have to say I love the descriptions of the shapeshifting and the feeling of being an animal. Very cool and intense. I probably won't write a review for each book since there's several dozen of them, but we're off to a strong start with The Invasion. Looking forward to reading more!
- Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2011I remember reading this series years ago. Was easily my favorite while I was a teen and I've gone back to my old collection a few times since then and been sad to see them slowly decaying due to age.
It is my sincere hope that scholastic continues to rerelease all the Animorphs titles and make them available in Kindle format. I'll eagerly look forward to adding all of them to my Kindle to ensure I can safely and reliably recall the series when I want to. Now if we can just get some of the older Star Wars/Star Trek and Harry Potter books on Kindle my Kindle collection will be complete...
I definitely encourage parents to get their children to give this series a shot, especially if they are into sci-fi. In this series, Earth is being invaded by an alien force known as the Yeerks. The Yeerks are parasites who take over a person entirely. Controlling their every move. Your teacher could be one. So could your mom, your dad, your siblings, your pastor, the neighbor... The Yeerk has access to all of their memories so it's nearly impossible for you to tell. The Yeerks are from space so you also have several alien species, some of whom may or may not be peaceful when left to their own means, but have been "harvested" by the Yeerks as little more than tools.
The Andalites are a race of aliens that violently oppose the Yeerks and all they do. The Andalites have morphing technology allowing them to turn into any creature they can touch.
Without getting too much into the book for first time readers, five teens, Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie and Marco end up gaining the ability to morph from a dying Andalite who feels sympathy for the humans and what's coming their way. It's up to these five initially to fight the Yeerk invasion in the hopes that the Andalite fleet will come some day and eradicate the Yeerk presence once and for all.
For those concerned about violence, yes, there is violence. This is a war. Most of the violence occurs to the Animorphs while they are in animal form. A bear may lose it's arm to a laser blast. I tiger may get ripped up by a blade from an alien creature. A gorilla may literally hold it's guts in it's hand. That's about as graphic as it gets. Holding your guts in your hands. Everything else, the amputations from laser blast, the cuts/bruises, are briefly mentioned and then forgotten. The Animorphs morph on the basis of DNA, DNA which thankfully only knows what is necessary to make a fully functional creature again. The Animporphs can morph out of their wounded animal form and return to the same animal in moments, perfectly recovered.
For 99.99% of the series, the only people that die are the bad guys so it's definitely a feel good story for the most part.
Top reviews from other countries
- Rafael ReisReviewed in Brazil on November 30, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
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- Abhilash MittalReviewed in India on October 26, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition
Delivered on time
- Tera YoungReviewed in Canada on June 2, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Very fast shipping
Looks like what is shown. Very fast shipping. I use to read this book series Asa teen and now want to read them again. So collecting all the books.
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tiger92Reviewed in Germany on December 17, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars The great books that made my childhood special ...
So I would argue that Applegate did not write these book for teens, but for teens who were really growing up. Her work out as teen books, but would eventually develop more deepness as her readers are getting older. In a strange way, Applegate seems to want to teach her readers that the realities of life.
I have started to read them in the local library as a kid, and i lost count how many times I have read them over and over again. I am not going to tell you how the story ends. But let's say Applegate is not telling a romantic story about young heroes, but about young teens who were thrown into an impossible situation. One day, they were just normal teens with teen problems. But then over one night, they had to become the only soldiers in a war against an alien force.
Yet all of these Characters were still very relatable for the readers. You have Jake the born leader, who struggles with his role as the guy who has to make the tough decisions. You have Maco, the funny clown who actually understands more about what is going on. The brave Rachel, who can both cruel and kind at the same time. Cassie, who is the heart of the group in the middle of a war. And then there is Tobias, who represents the tragic but heroic soul, always beaten down but never given up ... I really hope you enjoys these books ...
- UnhappyOReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars First time reading
I never read this series as a child, now upon reading it as an adult I realise how much of a loss that was. What a great book, if I had read this in my early teens it would have been a favourite.
The characters are diverse and well realised, the writing flows and had a great pace. It might be a bit dark for some but it does a great job of introducing some really cool concepts.