Rodman Philbrick

A read aloud with emotional heft. Max is a giant of a kid, a misfit in school and in life because of his size, and with a learning disability that makes him feel slow and stupid. Max also carries very heavy baggage: his father is in prison for killing his mother, he lives with his grandparents, and bears the burden of an uncanny resemblance to the man known as Killer Kane. Max's world changes when Kevin moves in next door with his mother, the Fair Gwen. Max remembers Kevin from preschool as show more a tiny genius, a kid with a rare form of dwarfism who grows on the inside but not the outside. The two become inseparable friends, with wildly inventive play and heroic quests: together they are Freak the Mighty. My girls laughed and cried throughout the book, wincing at the brutalities and injustices of real life, and repeating after nearly every chapter:" I'm so glad they found each other!"

Curriculum: a terrific book for a read aloud or for literature circles, with discussion potential for empathy, and the realities of individuals with disabilities.

Philbrick, W. (1993). Freak the Mighty. New York, N.Y: Scholastic Inc. show less

This book is a winner. Set in the 1860s, Homer P. Figg and his brother Harold have a miserable existence in the care of the “meanest man in Maine,” Squinton Leach,

“A man so mean he squeezed the good out of the Holy Bible and beat us with it, and swore that God Himself had inflicted me and Harold on him, like he was Job and we was Boils and Pestilence.”

When Squinton Leach illegally sells Harold into service in the Union Army as a replacement, Homer P. Figg sets off to find him. This show more sounds like the set-up for a sorrow-filled tale of the Civil War. But, add in the fact that Homer P. Figg is as keen a liar and observer of human nature as was ever created by the likes of Mark Twain, you’ve got yourself a tale that, although full of lies, lies more likely near the truth. Homer Figg shows us comedy in times of tragedy and dogged perseverance against adversity.

On his quest to free his brother from his illegal conscription, Homer meets an array of colorful characters and shares his wry observations,

as in this passage when he is travelling with an aspiring pastor,

“Dear Kate has been waiting for me all her life. She knew it the moment she looked into my eyes.” Homer wryly notes, “That does it. It can’t be true love. Mr. Willow has eyes like a sick kitten. You might love a sick kitten buy you don’t marry it, you keep it as a pet.”

Later, Homer is directed to bathe by Professor Fleabottom, his new employer and proprietor of Professor Fleabottom’s Caravan of Miracles,

“The pungent perfume of the pig is still upon you. The suffocating scent of the swine exudes from your person. In a word sir, you stink.” To which Homer declares, “Far as I’m concerned, taking a bath is sort of like drowning, with soap. Never could abide it…”

Homer’s spunk, his determination, and his ability to find joy in life during the direst of circumstances, makes him a winning hero. Yes, there is war and death and dishonesty; but there is also hope. show less

“I never had a brain until Freak came along.”

Max, along with the rest of his town, has always considered himself brainless and worthless. He lives in the basement of Grim and Gram, his maternal grandparents and only remaining family after his father was sent to jail for the murder of his mother when he was young. Max is larger than most grown men, and has been placed in learning disabled classes. He has no friends.

Things change the summer before eighth grade when Kevin moves next door. show more Kevin is the same age as Max, but the size of a small two-year old due to a birth defect that causes his inner organs to grow but not his frame. Kevin is a brilliant go-getter with a lust for life who does not settle for anything less than what he wants and has a keen interest in books, especially the dictionary.

Together, Kevin and Max form an unlikely and inseparable pair, and have many adventures as Freak the Mighty, the moniker they chose for themselves. Kevin is the brains while Max is the legs, and together they go on quests as often as they take on bullies. Shining like a lamp through all their adventures is the truth which Max finally learns, that he can overcome any obstacle in his path as long as he remains true to himself. His learning disability, his loneliness, and even his low self esteem all dissolve as Max grows toward greater maturity.

Told through Max’s eloquent phrasing, which time and time again disproves his insistence on his inability to write, this book is a must read for anyone eleven and up. Make sure you have a box of tissues saved for the end of the book – you’ll need them. show less

While this review indicates a 2019 read date, I have read it every year since then.

I read this over and over in middle school. Freak and I had so much in common! Not the same condition, though. I was a sick kid who is now a sick adult, but thanks to Disability Twitter and Disability YouTube, I have a community. I didn't before, so I lived vicariously through Freak, or tried. When I read this again today as an adult, I thought I'd pick up on things differently. Not really. The book is show more accessible to both kids and adults, which feels kind of rare. I admire the author for this. The movie adaptation is really faithful and it was so great to see the book come to life. The author's fine with it, even. I watched some of his videos on YouTube. The book warmed my heart, made me laugh, gave me hope, made me nervous and scared, then broke my heart. I remembered everything that happened but oh, I was still so sad. As an adult, I realized something I hadn't as a kid: Freak knew. He knew the whole time, and he made up an elaborate story to cope. I have so many feelings. I'm so glad this book was written, that I read it as a kid, and now. show less