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Freak the Mighty

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 12,575 ratings · 1,497 reviews

Two boys – a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces – forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. (Made into the film, The Mighty.) * \u201cA wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss.\u201d – School Library Journal, starred review \u201cCompelling…written with energy and...more

Paperback, 169 pages

Published June 1st 2001 by Scholastic Paperbacks (first published October 1st 1993)

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Jan 25, 2011 Gabriela Ramirez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think the book is good and sad. Its about this guy named Max who is tall. People make fun of him becaus they say that he has no bran. Like he need a class to help him to read. Then he met Freak in that class becaus he had to help him. Freak told Max that he had to read this book but then Max said that he can't read so then Freak reads it for him. Then the next day freak asked Max if he can take him to this place and says that he will pay him if he takes him. they became best friends

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Nov 15, 2007 Dean rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone that enjoys reading

Freak the Mighty is a tear jerking story about two total opposites that become best friends. The 2 main characters, Max and Kevin a.k.a Freak the Mighty lead amazing unpredictable lives, they went on quests and fought dragons. The book is very good, the action really ramps up toward the end leading to a sad but satisfying ending. The ending is satisfying because once you've finished the book you immediately realize that you have just read something that you will always remember as one of the bes...more

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Oct 18, 2007 Joseph rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjosys a good booj.

Shelves: freshmen1

Freak the Mighty was just a really good book. it is sad what happens at the end, but the entire story line between the two main characters Freak, and Mighty was just complexing.
both are attracted to each other because one is big without so much of a mind, the other is small but with a large mind.
Freak known as KEVIN in the story is a boy with a birth defect. his body is very small and fragile and cannot hold itself up. however, he has the brain of someone say three times his age or you could say...more

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Oct 04, 2007 Meagan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves a story about true friendship

Shelves: kids_materials_class

This is a lovely, offbeat book about the unlikely friendship between two boys who seem to share nothing in common. Max is very big for his age, and thinks he isn't very smart, while Kevin has a birth defect that causes him to stay very small. He's also brilliant! The two team up, Max carrying Kevin on his shoulders, and become Freak the Mighty, going on quests to assist those in need and living life to its fullest in every adventure. The story is told from Max's point of view, and we learn all a...more

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Jan 15, 2008 Stephanie Hawkins rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teachers, junior high aged kids

Recommended to Stephanie by: Joe Kolloch

Shelves: teen-fiction

This is a fun book, and the kids love it (I teach junior high and cover this book every year). It's the story of an unlikely friendship between a very small boy with health problems and a short life span, and a very large boy whose childhood has been pretty rough. There is a little bit of language that might deter some teachers, but I've found that the kids can get past it for the story. There are a lot of fun adventures, some great lessons, and some tough issues that the boys go through togethe...more

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Nov 13, 2007 Kelly Rueda rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Middle schoolers

Freak the Mighty is about the friendship of two boys living in a small town who balance each other out beautifully. One's strength is the others weakness. They need each other to face a world that does not always understand the challenges faced by disabled/ special needs individuals. Themes tackled throughout the books include stereotypes, coming of age, death, domestic violence, loss of parents, and appreciating differences. Although this book is geared towards middle schoolers, some of the hum...more

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Sep 25, 2008 Hamiltond93 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Freak the Mighty was about a boy named kevin (FREAK),who was a midjet with disabilties but dosent let that slow him down. MAX (MIGHTY)is a giant kid who is not the brightest,Kevin amd Max meet when they were in preschool,and havent seen each other sence .Then when they were in the eighth grade kevin moved down the street from max ,after awhile they started to remember each other ,they became the best of friends, the two of them together became Freak the Mighty.this book has brought me a lot of e...more

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Sep 24, 2008 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

♥Freak The Mighty is a fantastic book, besides the ending that was kid of depressing. but anyway the minute I set my eyes on the first paragraph I was like addicted to it. Anyhow, a small and very smart eighth grader named Freak (Kevin) and a rather big and not so smart eighth grader named Max (Mighty)didnt have any friends until Freak moved in the block next door to Mighty and then they both became friends. Together Freak and Mighty go on many journeys (as Freak says) and become Frweak The Migh...more

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Jun 03, 2013 The Thousander Club rated it 3 of 5 stars

Brad Howes shares his thoughts . . .

"Freak the Mighty is a feel-good story of a unique 'opposites-attract' friendship. Max and Kevin are on different ends of the intellectual and physical spectrum. Kevin, the Freak, is a small-statured, big-word-using genius. But he suffers from a disease that causes his 'insides' to grow, but not his 'outsides.' Max the Mighty, on the other hand, is a giant. In fact, his shoe size, fourteen, exceeds his age, thirteen—and he is L.D. (as he calls it). L.D. stan...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Erick J rated it 3 of 5 stars

I give this story 3 star because it was kind an interesting and boring at the same time. First, the story was kind a funny but the story took a little bit too long and it just talks about 2 kids that have problem about their life. One of the kids is a boy named Kevin but he calls himself freak. He has a disorder that his insides are growing but not his outsides. That why he is a really tiny boy and he is a 14 years old boy. The other kid is named Maxwell but his nickname is mighty. He is really...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Mario Melendez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Freak the Mighty is an excellent books it about two best friends Kevin “Freak” and Max “Mighty.” Kevin (Freak) Avery is a crippled, blonde haired boy whom Max becomes best friends with.
Kevin has Morquio syndrome, where the outside of his body cannot grow. Kevin is 14 years old he is a genius and he reads a dictionary for fun and he uses words Max doesn’t understand. He calls his adventures quests. He is interested the tales of King Arthur, to the extent of calling his mother, Gwen, “The Fair G...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Trini Le rated it 4 of 5 stars

‘Freak the Mighty’ is a contemporary realistic fiction novel. What I really liked about the book was, the friendship Max and Kevin had. It is rare to have a friendship like they do. I also thought their imagination they have together was very interesting. What I didn’t like was how I was able to predict what was going too happened in the end, but everything else about the story was good. The characters in the story are, Kevin known as “Freak” and Max known as “Mighty’, Grim and Gram, the grandpa...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Tommy Grippe rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked how this book was about two kids who had totally opposite backgrounds but they could still get along really good. After reading this it is easy to say that this is one of my favorite books I ever read because I like how hard it is for the little boy to have a life then along comes a big kid that helps him out and takes him places he couldn't go by himself.
Freak the Mighty is a story of two unusual kids who team up to fight back against the world even though it has dealt them rough hands....more

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Mar 07, 2013 Zack Zugovitz added it

I read this book because my mom said it was a lot like the story of the book Of Mice and Men. I loved the characters of Kevin and Max. The story is told in Max's voice and although is he supposed to be mentily slow, or “dumb”. He is a sympathetic and relatable narrator who really does mean well. Kevin is a bit intense and perhaps a bit unrealistic as an actual person, if it were real life, but by the time the story talks about them, for Max to have a friend, it kinda felt right.
This book was oka...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Tyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Freak the Mighty is an enjoyable novel for any age group to read. It is about two boys who aren’t considered normal and they form a rock solid bond. The novel begins with Maxwell Kane explaining his living situation and his low self-esteem. He is a tall and large preteen who lives in his grandparent’s basement. He refers his grandparents to grim and gram throughout the novel. His father is in jail and his mother passed away. Maxwell doesn’t really hangout with anyone or get involved with any act...more Freak the Mighty is an enjoyable novel for any age group to read. It is about two boys who aren’t considered normal and they form a rock solid bond. The novel begins with Maxwell Kane explaining his living situation and his low self-esteem. He is a tall and large preteen who lives in his grandparent’s basement. He refers his grandparents to grim and gram throughout the novel. His father is in jail and his mother passed away. Maxwell doesn’t really hangout with anyone or get involved with any activities. He tells stories about a physically disabled boy named Kevin. He refers to him as Freak and he talks about how smart and funny he was when they had daycare together. He retells this because Freak moves in a couple houses down. Freak is a much shorter and smaller kid then Maxwell and he uses crutches because his legs don’t work well. Maxwell and Freak became instant friends. The first big events in the novel was when Freak and Max attended the town firework show on the fourth of July. They were immediately bothered by an older boy named Tony D “Blade”. Tony D is the town bully and he verbally harasses the boys. Cops stop Tony D and for now they were safe. Freak gets on Maxwell’s shoulders for the first time in order to see the fireworks. This was a very important part because throughout the rest of the summer Freak would stay on Maxwell’s shoulders all the time. After the fireworks were over Tony D and his gang chased after Maxwell and Freak. Maxwell ran while having Freak on his shoulders the whole time. He ran through deep mud and even a pond. He got away from the gang and Freak whistled to get a cops attention before Tony D could launch a big rock there way. They started to hang out every day and have adventures together known as “Freak the Mighty”. Trips to the hospital for Freak turned into adventures for him and Maxwell. He would tell Max that he was being fitted for a bionic body. They had a great summer together and around Christmas time they found out that Maxwell’s dad got out of jail because of parole. This shocked Maxwell and it caused fear through his grandparent’s home. On Christmas Eve Maxwell is woken up by his father “Killer Kane” and he is kidnapped by him. He takes Max to Iggy Lee’s apartment. She was an “old friend” of Maxwell’s dad and Max and Freak met her in the summer. Maxwell gets tied up from his dad. Iggy saw that and she tried to rescue Maxwell. She gets strangled by “Killer Kane” and then he tries to strangle Maxwell. Freak comes right on time to save Maxwell. He squirts a combination of minerals in the eyes of Maxwell’s dad. At the end of the novel Maxwell’s dad admits guilt and goes back to prison, Freak passes away because of his condition, and Maxwell rights a book about the adventures of him and Freak. In my opinion I believe it was an entertaining and likeable read. I believe this book is very symbolic for showing how powerful two boys can be together. Even though they weren’t considered ordinary they proved to overcome obstacles. I don’t have any negative views on this story accept for the sad ending. I saw it coming though because of all of Freak’s hospital trips. I didn’t want him to die but it was set to happen. I would recommend this novel for anyone to read. It’s full of humor and friendship. I think it is a great underdog story because both of these kids are looked at as jokes but in the end they always came on top.(less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Kaitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, addicting, you-stepped-on-my-heart, weird-cover, thinking, surprised-me, magical

Actual rating: 4.5

I can't stand to give it just 4... It just doesn't seem right. So our teacher read it aloud (sounds childish, yes I know) to our reading class, which was very annoying near the end because I just wanted to know what happened to everybody. EVERYBODY. EVERYBODY! Everybody changed by the end of the book, and I wanted to know the END!!! And the chapters were so short so we only read one a day, so I was highly annoyed. Not at my teacher, of course. It had a sad ending, and it was pr...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Olivia Margolis rated it 4 of 5 stars

SPOILER ALERT!

This book is about two people named Max and Kevin. Kevin can be called Freak.It starts out that one day Kevin moves to Max's neighborhood. He is Max's age ( 12 - 13 ) but different. He is only two feet tall. He is very smart for his age. He loves fantasy too.They meet and bond a little. It comes the fourth of July and they go down to the park to watch fire works. Lots of people are there and since Freak is so short Max was worried that people would step on him. So Max decided to pu...more SPOILER ALERT!

This book is about two people named Max and Kevin. Kevin can be called Freak.It starts out that one day Kevin moves to Max's neighborhood. He is Max's age ( 12 - 13 ) but different. He is only two feet tall. He is very smart for his age. He loves fantasy too.They meet and bond a little. It comes the fourth of July and they go down to the park to watch fire works. Lots of people are there and since Freak is so short Max was worried that people would step on him. So Max decided to put him on his shoulders. He could se everything from there. When the fire works were over everyone started to leave. But they didn't get to. They came face to face with Tony D. Tony D was one of those people who always was getting in trouble. He was in a gang. He picked on Freak and Max but Freak stood up for them. Tony D got mad and started chasing after them. They ran into the millpond. Tony D stopped chasing them and ran off when he heard the police coming. Tony d got caught and we were taken home. After that the started calling themselves freak the mighty. School came up and they were in the same classes. Max thought it was embarrassing. One day freak showed Max this place where he was getting tested every few months. it was a place where he was getting a new body. A bionic body. Another day Freak told Max that they were going on an adventure. They were going in all black so no one could see them. They were retrieving a purse. The purse belonged to a woman named Loretta lee. They went to her house to return her purse. She was married to Iggy lee. Iggy lee was a biker and had a gang. Iggy asked them some questions and then let them go home. It was Christmas and Max and his grandma ( gram ) and grandpa (grim ) were going to freaks. They ate dinner and then opened presents. Freak got a squirt gun and a science kit with all these chemicals. Max got a handmade dictionary from Freak that had all these words in it. Except he spelled things different. When Max and his grandparents got home they went of bed. But he had a surprise waiting for him. He got kidnapped. He was taken by his father. They went to Loretta and Iggy's house. They stayed in a house that was next to them for a while. Then they moved to a building that got burned down a couple years ago. Loretta lee tried to save him but failed. She al almost died. But Freak came to the rescue. He sprayed him in the eyes with some type of chemical that made his eyes burn. They were saved. It was freaks birthday and he got a computer. But on that same day he also had a seizure. He went to the hospital. When he was better he had to stay at the hospital because he was going to have his new body put on. But in the process Freak died. This book has sort of all kinds of different genres in it. It is a mysterious, funny, and sad book. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read anything, but I guess mostly someone who likes mysteries. (less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Heidi Larew rated it 5 of 5 stars

I like this book partly because I read it with my son who is in 7th grade. The main character and his friend are middle school buddies, the book is about growing up and developing empathy, and there is an underlying push for reading and learning.

I like to pick out my favorite little sections and put them here.

Here goes, "Each and every morning the little dude humps himself over and he bangs on the bulkhead, wonka-wonka-wonka, he may be small but he sure is noisy. 'Get outta bed you lazy beast!...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Cierrah Gonzalez rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was one that I really enjoyed. It tells the story of two young boys who become the best of friends that each undergo their own obstacles and come out shouting "FREAK THE MIGHTY." The two boys ,max (the giant) and Kevin (the freak) once went to preschool with each other where everyday Kevin would be made fun of because of his abnormal size and his leg braces. When Kevin moves to the neighborhood with his mother max's grandma invites them to come over for dinner. After that Max continues...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Tyler Jent rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a great but sad book. Its about a pair and they call themselves "freak The mighty". I loved this book and it was hard to put it down. I would even go as far as to consider this the best book i`ve read. Its charming characters and flawless story telling will have anyone like this fasinating book.

I really feel like im kinda trying to find myself now and who i can fit in with, this book really reflects off of my real-life. And the main characters kinda remind me of myslef in a way.

I would...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Ana Sofia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Freak the Mighty by: Rodman Philbrick

This book is about 2 kids that share an amazing connection. Max is a slow learner that has the body of a giant, and Kevin is and genious kid that is stuck in leg braces. Kevin becomes friends with Max because he moves next door and they become neighbors. One day Max and Freak go return a purse they found to an apartment owned by Iggy and Loretta Lee, and they tell him they knew his dad. He's dad is in prison because he was accused of a guilty crime. Later Fre...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Handan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: worth-sharing, just-for-fun, ya, stargirl

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wish I had known about this book when I was in elementary school. I love that we read it in the words of Max Kane, a young man who is presumed to be "a retard" by his peers and educators and is suspected of violent tendencies by his maternal grandparents, Grim and Gram, with whom he lives. This isn't without cause, mind you. Max's father, Kenny "Killer" Kane, we later learn, is incarcerated for killing Max's mother when Max was four. His grandparents, heck, the whole neighborhood knows the sto...more I wish I had known about this book when I was in elementary school. I love that we read it in the words of Max Kane, a young man who is presumed to be "a retard" by his peers and educators and is suspected of violent tendencies by his maternal grandparents, Grim and Gram, with whom he lives. This isn't without cause, mind you. Max's father, Kenny "Killer" Kane, we later learn, is incarcerated for killing Max's mother when Max was four. His grandparents, heck, the whole neighborhood knows the story and since Max is the spitting image of his dad, right down to his impressive size, everyone suspects the worst of him.

The title comes from the friendship struck up between Max and Kevin, also known as Freak, when Kevin moves back to the neighborhood. Kevin carries a dictionary with him and frequently describes himself as someone whose insides are growing faster than his outsides. A polar opposite to Max. However, the two discover a sympathetic bond and spend the summer questing and escaping rogues.
Kevin is a major fan of knights, whom he dubs the first attempt at bionic advancement of men. Bionics is a big deal to Kevin as he informs Max he will be the first bionic human. His condition, which has left him physically puny, nominates him to receive a new body, a bionic body.
At school, Kevin has rearranged Max's schedule so they take all classes-advanced courses, to Max's chagrin-together. In the first class where this pairing is questioned by the teacher, Kevin hops on Max's shoulders (as he has done all summer) and declares they are "Freak the Mighty!"

Alas, such a brilliant friendship is never meant to last forever. Just before the holiday break, Max's father earns parole. On Christmas Eve, spirits are lightened as Max, Kevin, Grim, Gram, and Kevin's Mom Fair Gwen celebrate. Kevin gives Max Freak's Dictionary, full of words he's shared/taught Max over the summer and fall.
Later that night,Kenny "Killer" Kane breaks into Grim and Gram's house and kidnaps Max. This is a harrowing adventure for him and the threatening characters Freak the Mighty faced over the summer resurface. (Well played, Philbrick, well played.) Eventually, through a combination of Kevin's ingenuity and deception and others' momentary turn to the powers of good, Max is rescued.
On Kevin's thirteenth birthday, the party abruptly ends when he begins having seizures. Kevin goes back to the hospital, and Max is summoned to visit. Kevin gives Max a blank book, instructing him to record the adventures of Freak the Mighty, reminding him to think of it as speaking to a friend. The severity of Kevin's condition finally sinks in. When he goes back to visit early the next day (thinking he'll return in time for breakfast) his presence alarms the nurses. Kevin didn't survive the night.
Time passes and eventually Max returns to Kevin's last gift, beginning the book the reader now holds.

I loved the intertwining of how Kevin and Max learn from each other, how Max finally develops confidence, the slow development of his language in writing (rereading will make it clear how he becomes comfortable with storytelling). That Max confronts his father--he saw Kenny choke his mother to death. That we understand, FINALLY, why Max is feared/resented. That Grim and Gram each slowly develop an understanding of who this boy is and that he is their daughter's son, not just the son of Killer Kane.

Gah, I'm rambling. Just go. Read it.

TL:DR Summary--GREAT BOOK. NOT DIFFICULT. GO READ.(less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Conner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Conner Dearden
Freak the Mighty
The novel Freak the Mighty is a young adult adventure novel. The author, Rodman Philbrick, portrays the theme of friendship, by showing the odd relationship between two outsiders named Kevin (Freak) and Max (Mighty). Kevin and Max both have numerable difficulties in their lives. The main issues they face pertain to physical and mental disabilities. The narrator (Max) shares and describes his inspiring and eventful journey that he shares with his very different frie...more Conner Dearden
Freak the Mighty
The novel Freak the Mighty is a young adult adventure novel. The author, Rodman Philbrick, portrays the theme of friendship, by showing the odd relationship between two outsiders named Kevin (Freak) and Max (Mighty). Kevin and Max both have numerable difficulties in their lives. The main issues they face pertain to physical and mental disabilities. The narrator (Max) shares and describes his inspiring and eventful journey that he shares with his very different friend, all the way from pre-school through their teenage years.
The writing style of the author has its pros and cons. On the downside, the novel can often seem slow, or a little too easy to read. This negative aspect to the book is due to the narrator Max. Due to Max being a very slow learner and an unintelligent boy, often referred to as a “retard”, provides this straightforward reading style. On the positive side it can also be very easy to relate too. Freak explains to Max, “Remembering is a great invention of the mind, and if you try hard enough you can remember anything, whether it really happened or not.” As the reader, this idea of ‘remembrance’ is very applicable while you’re reading the book. Max and Freak’s quests throughout their childhood and teenage years spark many memories of past things you have done in your childhood, whether they really happened or not.
There is never a set geographical location in the novel. The setting bounces around from pre-school, middle school, hospitals, parks, and several different locations throughout the city. The variety of the settings is due to the fact that Max and Freak go on many explorations and quests. The two main characters that the story revolves around are Kevin “Freak” Avery and Maxwell “Max/Mighty” Kane. Max is a very massive strong boy, who is very dense and lacks simple intelligence. Max has a very strong history of bullying, which helps get him the nickname, “Kicker”. It is inferred that he adapted this malicious attitude because; he came from a very unstable home. The novel does not refer to his mother, but that Max’s father is in jail, and is a convicted murderer. Max carries out a plethora amount of time living under the roof of his grandparents, whom he is very impassionate about. Later in the novel Max’s behavior dramatically changes with the addition of Freak to his life. You soon feel very sympathetic and loving towards Max. Freak, the other main character, is a small blonde haired scrawny boy suffering from Morquio Syndrome. Morquio Sydrome is where the outside of your body cannot grow. Because of this defect Freak has to use crutches and many metal braces to keep his limbs in place. For his age, Freak is a complete genius; he is compared to as a walking dictionary. You find yourself feeling terrible about Freak and his conditions, but it is very inspiring how he deals with his trials and gets through day-to-day life.
Max and Freak, both suffering from different infirmities in their lives find themselves becoming very close friends. Together, they begin to make their weak qualities become their strong qualities. At one certain point in the novel Freak dubs him and his close friend, Max; “Freak the Mighty” as he rides on Max’s shoulders. As they travel and venture through thick and thin, Freak becomes Max’s brains and Max becomes Freak’s body in this special position. Together they prove you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Citrine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this book when I was in third grade. I got it fairly well. It was not a book that's a screaming Must Read!, but it was okay. The second time I read it, my teacher analyzed every single thing the characters said. He didn't seem to understand that he was going way too far with it.
It was a pretty good book overall, with a message just popping out at the end, but the whole thing just felt too carefully-constructed. Like, when the book starts out the author just has to make the main character...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Dania rated it 4 of 5 stars

Freak the mighty is a great story. It is a story about two kids. One is Freak and the other is Max. Freak has Morquio Syndrome, but that does not stop him from having high hopes and expectations. Freak lives with his mother Gwen. Max lives with his grandparents, Grim and gram. Freak moves in next door to Max. Then little by little they become friends, best friends. Together they are freak the mighty. They have lots of adventures together. One of their favorite is going to the doctor, for Freak t...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Constantine rated it 5 of 5 stars

I teach Junior high (7th/8th grade) literature and this is my first review of a book that I utilize in my classroom. I think it is a remarkable example of literary workmanship. I'd estimate that I've read it aloud to my students some 40 to 50 times now..(two/three times a year for 18 years)...and yet I still find new aspects to savor everytime I immerse myself in the journey that begins with:"I never had a brain until Freak came along and let me borrow his for a while and that's the truth, the w...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was recommend this by one of the librarians and I got it as a group read for my Teen Book Group at the library back in May. Half the group read it, the rest didn't and I never got round to it. BUt 2 of the teenagers told me it was good and definitely worth a read so i kept hold of it.
I picked this up this afternoon as I wanted a quick read and this was only 175 pages with fairly big writing so I thought it would be perfect. The book is narrated by Maxwell Kane (Max) he lives with his Gram and...more I was recommend this by one of the librarians and I got it as a group read for my Teen Book Group at the library back in May. Half the group read it, the rest didn't and I never got round to it. BUt 2 of the teenagers told me it was good and definitely worth a read so i kept hold of it.
I picked this up this afternoon as I wanted a quick read and this was only 175 pages with fairly big writing so I thought it would be perfect. The book is narrated by Maxwell Kane (Max) he lives with his Gram and Grim (grandparents) and his room is in the Basement but he likes being able to hide in the dark spaces, it's the only place he really can hide as he is very big for his age, so stands out in any crowd.
But everything changes when Kevin moves in a couple of doors down. Kevin is a child genius but is also tiny. He has a sort of Dwarfism. Together the pair strike up an odd friendship, Kevin ends up finding a comfortable perch on Max's shoulder and together they call themselves 'Freak The Mighty'. Kevin is like a walking dictionary and has a vivid imagination, so together they go on all sorts of adventures. Max starts to realise that he can do things for himself such as read and learn. It's like Kevin is an extra brain, teaching him things he needs to know.
But then a figure from his past comes back and Max is in danger, can the pair find a way out, and save each other.
This book is quite involved considering it is so short but I actually enjoyed it. I loved Kevin's spark, he was so happy and jumpy at everything and would also come out with all sorts of 'posh' words and long sentences that made him sound like a super brain. But he is so friendly and encouraging to Max that you can't help but become attached to him.
Max is like a gentle giant, sort of like a teen BFG. He comes across as quite slow and unintelligent, but throughout the book you see him develop and grow.
There are some laugh out loud moments, some gasp moments, some ridiculous moments and some sad moments. I did not expect the ending and was quite sad at the turn of events (i don't want to give it away) but I admire the author for following the story truthfully.
A sweet touching story that has a good message to it and is an enjoyable book. Good for adults and children alike. (less)

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Jun 12, 2012 Evelyn Alvarez rated it 3 of 5 stars

This realistic fiction has elements of fantasy as the characters use their imagination. There are magical moments and some terrifying ones as well. The novel is about two handicapped young boys, one who is petite and one who is bigger than your average thirteen year old. The novel is a beautiful story about the power of friendship, family, and the difficulties of life. Max and Kevin (Freak) complete each other as Kevin triggers Max’s imagination and gives him confidence, while Max carries Kevin...more

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May 22, 2012 Bailee rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would recomend this book to people, but I wouldnt read it again.I just didnt like it, its not my type of book. My type of book would be a mystery book. Although some people may consider this book a mystery, I could tell what was going to happen next. It was way too obvious. For example, I knew Kenny Kane would get parole, I knew he would kidnap max, I knew Kenny was going to end up back in jail, I knew Freak was lying about getting a new/bionic body, and i knew Freak was going to die.

But it's...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Realistic Fiction (Fiction)

Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level: W

Summary: This book tells the story of Max and Freak who, together, become "Freak the Mighty." Freak, whose real name is Kevin, is small for his age. He has a genetic condition that prevents his body from growing normally. Even though his body is small, Freak has an enormous brain and an enormous imagination. Max, on the other hand, is plenty big for his age, but usually feels pretty stupid. This unusual duo faces teenage thug...more

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About Rodman Philbrick

Aka William R Dantz, Chris Jordan, W.R. Philbrick.

Rodman Philbrick grew up on the New England coast, where he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. For many years he wrote mysteries and detective novels. The Private Eye Writers of America nominated two of his T.D.Stash series as best detective novel and then selected Philbrick's 'Brothers & Sinners' as Best Novel in 1993. Writing under th...more

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Trivia About Freak the Mighty

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Quotes from Freak the Mighty

“Books are like truth serum-- if you don't read, you can't figure out what's real.” — 50 people liked it

“Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of everything, even pain.” — 41 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Freak the Mighty Goodreads rating: 3.95 (12575 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8953.Freak_the_Mighty?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328844055l/8953.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8953.Freak_the_Mighty?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick[/url]

Freak the Mighty

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