Philbrick - Freak the Mighty

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Freak the Mighty

By Rodman Philbrick

@Walking_Dictionary: You wish!!!

@Fair_Gwen just donated $3!!

@Tony.D_Erry Day: People cant wait to meet me!!!! #FTM #FYP #Characters #imdabest

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@Killer Kane is wrecking that follow button!!!

@Grim.Gram_Fam: Omg, such a fab picture! so thematic >w<!!!! #Theme #FYP #FTM #Freakisbae #FreakorKevin

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@Tony.D_Erry Day just watched 5 hours of the stream!!

@Grim.Gram_Fam: Those are some spicy titles!

@The Fairest_Gwen: I'm with @Walking_Dictionary. Bullying isn't cool. Regardless, @DinoBrainToTheMax could roast you to char!

@Walking_Dictionary: Come on dude, aren't we getting too old for stuff like that? Act your age!

@THE_Killa.Kane: Dino brain? More like pea brain! XD

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Never Trust a Cripple

Dinosaur Brain

The Return of Kicker

Chapter previews!!!

A 12-year-old boy who is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. Max lives with his grandparents because his father is in prison for killing his mother. Max is very big for his age and looks like his father, so people fear him, but he is actually very sensitive and kind. Max doesn’t think he’s very smart, and he doesn’t have any friends before he meets Freak. Max is the physical strength half of “Freak the Mighty.” (SparkNotes)

Max

Kevin’s mother and a childhood friend of Max’s mother, Annie.

Fair Gwen

Theme: Intelligence can look many different ways

some guiding questions as you read...

What parts of the book highlight this theme of intelligence? Why does Max think he isn't very bright? Is this totally internal, or have outside forces made him think this way? Who is the smartest character in the book? Why? What does this book have to teach us about intelligence?

Freak The Mighty

Synosis: Freak the Mighty is a novel about two boys named Kevin (AKA "Freak"), who was diagnosed with Murquio Syndrome, and Maxwell "Max" Kane, a developmentally disabled, but kindhearted boy, who never seemed to quite fit in. Published in 1993 by the author Rodman Philbrick, the story is set in the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is a story about the bond of friendship, overcoming adversity, and finding a way to survive.

• Priase for "Freak The Mighty":
• "...mesmerizing and suspenseful..poigant..an intruiging and unusual story."--Kirkus Reviews--

• "A wonderful story...memorableand luminous...somewhat different and very special." --School Library Journal--
• "...riveting and poigant, with solid characters, brisk pacing, and...a little humor to carry us along." --Booklist--
• "...it is a remarkable example of literary workmanship.... I still find new aspects to savor everytime I immerse myself in the journey..." --Constantine, Goodreads--

https://rodmanphilbrick.com/about/

About the Author:

Rodman Philbrick

"Rodman Philbrick grew up on the coast of New Hampshire and has been writing novels since the age of sixteen. For a number of years he published mystery and suspense novels for adults. He also has written several books for young adults as well, such as Freak the Mighty, among many others." -https://rodmanphilbrick.com/about/ - Rod splits his time between Maine and Florida. To find out more about Rodman Philbrick, you can visit:

Theme: Isolation is harmful

some guiding questions as you read...

What parts of the book highlight this theme of loneliness? Why do Max's grandparents let Max stay in the down under for so long? Why does Freak try to pull Max out of his hole in the down under? Is it intentional? Does he just want a friend? What does the book have to say about isolation?

Theme: Appearances are deceiving

some guiding questions as you read...

What parts of the book highlight this theme of loneliness? We know appearances are deceiving when it comes to Max and Freak. How so? What are we supposed to learn from this? Does Max believe people's impressions of him? Does he let it affect the way he thinks about himself?

A 12-year-old boy who moves into the house next door to Max. Kevin, whom Max refers to as “Freak,” is extremely intelligent and has a quick and sarcastic wit. He also has a condition called Morquio syndrome that affects his growth and mobility. He is very small for his age, wears leg braces, and uses crutches to get around. Freak doesn’t have any friends before he meets Max. Freak is the brains half of “Freak the Mighty.” (SparkNotes)

Kevin/"Freak"

Theme: Family is more than just biology

some guiding questions as you read...

What family relationships do we see represented in this story? What does family mean to Kenny Kane? What does it mean to Grim and Gram? How would Max's life have been different if he had an older sibling? A younger sibling? Would Freak's story be any different if he had a father figure in the picture?

A dangerous bully from Max and Freak's school.

Blade/Tony D.

Theme: Friendship can be transformative

some guiding questions as you read...

What parts of the book highlight this theme of friendship? Why is Freak able to become Max's friend when no one else has ever been able to? What's different about Freak or about his friend-making strategy? Do any of the adults in the book have friends? What do we make of other friendships we see in Freak the Mighty? What does the book have to say about friendship?

Theme: The past has power over us to the degree we let it

some guiding questions as you read...

What parts of the book highlight this theme of the past and its power? What are the effects of Max's past on his life? Does it control him? Or does he have control over it? Do you agree with Freak that memory is an invention? What does he even mean by that? Has Max finally overcome the trauma of his past by the end of the book? Or does he still have more to face?

Grim is Max’s maternal grandfather, who Max lives with after his mother’s death. Grim loves Max, but he also recognizes the physical similarities between Max and his father, Kenneth “Killer” Kane, and worries that Max could be like his father in other ways. Gram is Max’s maternal grandmother and wife of Grim. Gram is warm and sweet. She loves Max and worries about him constantly. (SparkNotes)

Grim/Gram

Killer Kane is Max’s father and he is in prison. Kenny “Killer” Kane is big, strong, cruel, and manipulative. Gram refers to him as an “accident of nature.” (SparkNotes)

Killer Kane