Summer break anyone?

[NateSean]

Maybe I'm wrong on this. But in the entire series, which we're told spans about three years at least, (as far as the internal timeline of the story goes) it doesn't appear that the Animorphs have a single summer break. Or any other reasonable length of time from school.

It's like every book or so has at least one scene taking place in a class. Or during a fieldtrip. Or they're working on homework. Megamorphs 1 is the only book that hints that they take some time off from school but other than that, nothing.

It kind of makes it hard to set up a fanfiction without a proper timeline.

[Nar Klawip]

I think Megamorphs 1 said they were out of school for the summer,it's not on my shelf so I can't check right now

I should go get it back from my brother, he's started reading them

[Andalite_Shorm]

I think it's because of the whole "Yeerk pool-school" (rhyme) thing, I dunno everytime I think of Animorphs, Summer always pops into my head, it's never Christmas or Halloween (I think), right? But I noticed this too.

[Nar Klawip]

Ax (+) Halloween would have been awesome.

[yunyun]

summer school?

[Nar Klawip]

summer school?

Thats a good point yunyun, some schools have classes year round with 1 or 2 week breaks every couple of months.

[BennyBoy]

It is a good point. School is mentioned in almost every book.

I got the same impression from Megamorphs 1 - And since the party in the beginning is a pool party it makes sense that it's summer.

Some of the books do hint at time passing as well. So although the reader is never told about the holidays they probably happen during the blank spots, the couple of weeks that get ignored in favour of skipping to the next major Ani mission.

[Phoenix004]

Well the entire series is 3 years across 54 books, which makes it 1 year for every 18 books, breaking down to less than one month per book. That's just averaging out though, as the amount of time between books varies dramatically.

In #2 we're told Tobias has been trapped as a hawk for a week. By #3 it's been a month. Later books are clearly several weeks apart at least, if not longer, and others (eg. #20-22) have no time gap at all.

However, with the exception of Megamorphs#1 there is never a clear indication of when they have time off school. There are times we can speculate that they have time off (some books mention going to the beach or other activities that tend to be more of a summer thing)  but from #25 onwards even if they aren't in school they might just be getting the Chee to cover for them. So either their summer breaks happen between books, or they simply don't refer to them.

[sublime88stang]

I agree i always found it interesting that they never seemed to account for a normal school year with breaks, and holidays. It always seemed as if they were perpetually in school, K.A. never really made a refrence to seasons/time in general. I find that that helped make it less realistic, if they were normal kids, then having a break or something would have been a big deal/ oppourtunity to go on more missions.

[NateSean]

Year round with two week long breaks sounds plausible. At the time Animorphs was popular, I remember my brothers' school discussing that possibility. Getting rid of summer break altogether and having the year round concept.

Well, my fanfiction is set largely in the New England portion of the States so I guess I'll just have to stretcfh my imagination on the timeline a bit.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     About the holidays: she probably wanted to avoid mentioning things like Christmas break. I often read things on these boards about K.A not wanting to get into religion.

     She might also have something against summer break.

     Also, a lot of information they get about the Yeerks--well, from what I remember-- came to them after over hearing Chapman talking to other Yeerks, sneaking into the entrance located there, etc.

[AniDragon]

I remember her saying that she didn't want to get into seasons because it would be a huge hint at where they were. Like, if there was snow in winter, then we'd know that they live somewhere that there's snow. Or if there's no snow during winter, then we'll know that they live where there's NO snow. So she just never specified the time of year, or seasonal weather.

[Tim Bruening]

summer school?

Thats a good point yunyun, some schools have classes year round with 1 or 2 week breaks every couple of months.

The series takes place in California during the 1990s.  During that decade, I remember there being severe budget problems in California, due to prop 13 and a bad recession.  This would lead to school budget cuts, which should likely lead to bans on field trips and summer school, giving the Animorphs time off from school to fight the Yeerks.

Could it be that the Sharing raised money for the local school system?  (After all, it was led by an assistant principal!).

Didn't the Anis ever have missions during Christmas?

[NothingFromSomething]

They do mention Winter a couple of times, like "I really don't want to be in these morphing clothes come Winter", that sort of thing.

Although as we all eventually found out at the end, it was Southern California, not like it'd get all that overly cold anyway.

[Tim Bruening]

They do mention Winter a couple of times, like "I really don't want to be in these morphing clothes come Winter", that sort of thing.

Although as we all eventually found out at the end, it was Southern California, not like it'd get all that overly cold anyway.

But it does rain.  Would you want to be wearing just  leotards in the rain?