The Message (Animorphs #4)
Grade 4-6.  This addition to the popular sci-fi/fantasy series continues the adventures of five young people who have acquired the power to morph into animal forms from their alien friends, the Andalites. This power has helped them to survive and keeps the evil Yeerk invaders at bay. Then Cassie starts hearing strange and disturbing messages in her dreams and realizes that she is receiving a distress call from a stranded Andalite. With Jake's encouragement, she decides that they must try to rescue the alien before it is killed by the Yeerk's leader. Danger mounts as they enter the ocean as dolphins to start their search, and Cassie suddenly understands what it means to be a leader. She is truly afraid of being responsible for this mission and for her friends, and her struggles to come to terms with her decision are realistic and engaging. Though the five children are stock characters, and the conflict is thinly developed in parts (readers never hear what the message really imparts), the descriptions of becoming and living as dolphins and other animals are impressive, as is the group's knowledge that their special powers are in reality powerful weapons not to be used lightly. Average series fare.?Linda Bindner, Athens Clarke County Library, GACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.