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Freak the Mighty (Scholastic Gold) Paperback – June 1, 2001

by Rodman Philbrick (Author)

4.7 5,701 ratings

Book 1 of 2: Freak The Mighty Series

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An unexpected friendship leads to a life-changing story in this timeless classic by Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick.

"I never had a brain until Freak came along . . . "

That's what Max thought. All his life he'd been called stupid. Dumb. Slow. It didn't help that his body seemed to be growing faster than his mind. It didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned how to be alone. At least until Freak came along.

Freak was weird, too. He had a little body--and a really big brain. Together Max and Freak were unstoppable.

Together, they were Freak the Mighty.

Over two million copies sold and eight foreign editions!
Turned into a feature film starring Kieran Culkin and Sharon Stone
Themes of friendship and bullying make this story timeless
This classic by award-winning author Rodman Philbrick will continue to be a middle grade reading staple, now and in the years to come!
The Scholastic Gold edition contains exclusive bonus content, including a Q&A with the author, writing tips, and more!

Reading age

10 - 12 years, from customers
Book 1 of 2

Freak The Mighty Series
Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Grade level

4 - 7
Lexile measure

930L
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches
Publisher

Scholastic Paperbacks
Publication date

June 1, 2001
ISBN-10

9780439286060
ISBN-13

978-0439286060
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From the Publisher


	Esperanza Rising	Save Me a Seat	Rules	Corner of the Universe	A Night DIvided

Customer Reviews	10,555	2,036	3,406	304	3,889
Price	$5.34	$6.99	$5.98	$7.45	$7.59
Discover your next favorite modern classic!	Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp.	Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.	This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance -- beyond the rules.	The summer Hattie turns 12, her predictable small-town life is turned on end when her uncle returns home for the first time in over 10 years. Hattie has never met him- He's been institutionalized and his condition involves schizophrenia and autism.	A stunning thriller from NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Rodman Philbrick:

Freak the Mighty

A School Library Journal Best Book for Young Adults

A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

A YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

An IRA Young Adults' Choices Book

A winner of: Arizona Young Readers' Award, California Young Reader Medal, Charlotte Award, Golden Sower Award (Nebraska), Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature (California), Soaring Eagle Book Award (Wyoming)

"Max's description of their friendship . . . is gritty, unsentimental, sparked with Freak's wry verbal wit and Max's earthier humor, and ultimately poignant. Easily read but compelling: an intriguing and unusual story." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

A Newbery Honor Book

A Kentucky Bluegrass Award Nominee

An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner

A New York Public Library's "Children's Books" 2009 -- 100 Books for Reading and Sharing

A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2010

"The book wouldn't be nearly as much fun without Homer's tall tales, but there are serious moments, too, and the horror of war and injustice of slavery ring clearly above the din of playful exaggerations." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Back Cover

MAX. FREAK. BEST FRIENDS. FOREVER.

"I never had a brain until Freak came along. . . ".

That's what Max thought. All his life he'd been called stupid. Dumb. Slow. It didn't help that his body seemed to be growing faster than his mind. It didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned how to be alone At least until Freak came along.

Freak was weird, too. He had a little body -- and a really big brain. Together Max and Freak were unstoppable.

Together, they were Freak the Mighty.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0439286069
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Paperbacks; Reprint edition (June 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780439286060
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0439286060
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 930L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Children's Books on Disabilities
- #5 in Children's Books on Bullying
- #56 in Children's Friendship Books

Customer Reviews:
4.7 5,701 ratings

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Rodman Philbrick
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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 for adults. Inspired by the life of a boy who lived a few blocks away, he wrote 'Freak The Mighty', the award-winning young-adult novel, which has been translated into numerous languages and is now read in schools throughout the world. The book was adapted to the screen as 'The Mighty', starring Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Kieran Culkin, and Elden Henson, with original music provided by Sting.
Rodman Philbrick's novels for young readers include 'The Fire Pony', 'Max the Mighty', 'REM World', 'The Last Book In The Universe', 'The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds', 'The Young Man And The Sea', and 'The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg', a 2010 Newbery Honor book. A stage adaptation premiered at the Kennedy Center in 2012, and was revived at the Orlando Repertory Theatre in 2015. 'Zane and The Hurricane, a Novel of Katrina' received many starred reviews in 2014. His latest novel for young readers 'The Big Dark' will be published in 2016.
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. A gothic tale of slavery and sea captains, 'Coffins' was published in 2002. Writing under the pen name 'William R. Dantz' he has explored the near-future worlds of genetic engineering and hi-tech brain control in books like 'Hunger', 'Pulse', 'The Seventh Sleeper', and 'Nine Levels Down'. He has published thrillers under the pen name Chris Jordan - 'Taken', Trapped', and 'Torn' - featuring Randall Shane, a former FBI Special Agent who specializes in recovering lost children. 'Measure of Darkness', a new Chris Jordan thriller about the very private investigator Naomi Nash, was published in December 2011 by Mira Books.
Rod and his late wife, Lynn Harnett, collaborated on a number of series for young readers, including 'The House on Cherry Street' and 'The Werewolf Chronicles'. He divides his time between Maine and the Florida Keys.
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W. R. Philbrick
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Rodman Philbrick has published thirty novels, many of them mystery and suspense novels written as Rodman Philbrick or W.R.Philbrick. Several have been published under the pseudonym William R. Dantz as well as Chris Jordan. He's also published a number of books for young readers, including 'Freak The Mighty', and ten mass market books for young readers in collaboration with his wife, the novelist Lynn Harnett. They divide their time between Maine and the Florida Keys. Rod can be contacted via his website at www.rodmanphilbrick.com.
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Susy Delgado
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Lauren Nickson

Great Book for students with disabilities

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2015

Verified Purchase

A Review of Freak the Mighty

Philbrick, Rodman. (1993). Freak the Mighty. New York: Scholastic
ISBN-13:978-0-439-28606-0
ISBN-10:0-439-28606-9
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Social Issues and Themes: Bullying, Death, Grief, Living with Illness and Disabilities, Self Esteem, Friendship, Behavior and Learning Disorders

The summer before eighth grade Max and Kevin form a friendship that causes both boys to step outside of their comfort zones. Max, a larger boy has learning difficulties. In addition, he comes from a nontraditional violent family that causes him to have low self-esteem and resort to fighting often. While Kevin, a small boy who has Morquio Syndrome has a vivid imagination and is extremely bright. As a result of Kevin’s syndrome he walks with crutches and has braces on his legs.

Max first sees Kevin, while Kevin was outside playing with his robot bird. The bird gets stuck in a tree and Max helps Kevin recover the bird. As a result of helping Kevin recover the bird, they attend the Fourth of July firework celebration together. On this day they encounter their first adventure escaping bullies who want to terrorize Max. The boys were able to escape danger due to Kevin’s quick thinking and him helping Max to navigate the situation.

At the Fourth of July celebration Max takes Kevin and places him on his shoulders so he is able to see the fireworks. This signifies that together the boys are capable of defending themselves from the ills that society inflicts on them.

With school starting, the boys are in the same class. Kevin encourages Max to become a better reader and helps him throughout the process. In return, Max is able to help transport Kevin on adventures and missions around the neighborhood that he physically would not be able to do independently. Together the boys find peace in their hectic situations. The boys finding support in each other is a great connection and thinking piece for boys diagnosed with emotional disturbance.

In the classroom, critical conversations could be about Kevin’s physical disorder, Max’s father being in prison, and how it feels to experience death of a friend or loved one. Teaching in an urban setting, students will have connections, thoughts, and stances in regards to the themes in Freak the Mighty.

In the end, Kevin dies. This causes Max to enter a deep depression and become very angry. However, Max is able to recall the adventures that the boys went on together and thus Freak the Mighty is formed. This book encourages discussion of broken families, odd friendships, learning disabilities, and adolescent death. The entire books focus is on two boys who find friendship due to having disabilities –this could be challenging because it may suggest that people with disabilities have trouble finding friends.

This is a review of a book from the Larissa Gerstel Collection at American University.

4 people found this helpful

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Crystal Augustus

For my kid

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024

He loved it

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2023

Verified Purchase

I mainly got this book because i remember reading it when i was in middle school and i fell in love with this book overall this book is so great for your kids or anyone in general, such a cute story.

One person found this helpful

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RayRocks99

Ray's review for FMS Project on Freak the Mighty

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2011

Verified Purchase

Freak the Mighty is a very powerful book that teaches us all a lot of good lessons. The book is about friends named Kevin and Max who are also known as Freak the Mighty. These main characters are different from each other, but they still are very close friends. That is one main thing that I really liked about the book. It did a great job of showing the reader that friends come in all different sizes, intelligences, shapes or colors. What really matters in a friend is their personality and how they treat you and other people. Freak (Kevin) was very smart and sickly and Max (Mighty) was slow and huge, but they both saw past how different they were and became very close and amazing friends.

I also liked how Max was not bad like his father. This shows that you can chose whoever you want to be even if your family is bad or you have a lot of issues in your life. A good quote that shows how your past can hurt who you are is "it's more than just the way Maxwell resembles him, Grim says that night in the kitchen, the boy is like him, we'd better watch out, you never know what he might do while we're sleeping." (Page 3-4, paragraphs 5 and 1) But, then Max's grandmother really explains that our past or our family situation can't make us who we are when she says "And Gram right away shushes him and says don't ever say that, again, because little pictures have big ears." (Page 4 paragraph 1)You can really choose your own path. I liked how Freak wasn't afraid of being who he was; he wasn't scared of talking smart. Freak wasn't afraid of anything and he kept trying to play even though he was very sick. He didn't let his sickness stop get in his way. Freak taught me that you should keep moving on even if you have disabilities.

What I also liked about the book was that the words weren't that long or complicated. The chapters weren't that long; they were only about five to seven pages. This book is good for all ages, from younger children to older teens. It was a fast and easy book to read and I think anyone can relate to the characters. The book was not fake or unreal, so anyone can learn a lot from it. On pages 39-40, there is a quote that I really liked that shows how fun and witty the book is and how anyone can enjoy it. The quote says "We're Freak the Mighty, that's who we are we're nine feet tall, in case you hadn't noticed." I would recommend anyone to read this book especially kids my age from 10 and up.

5 people found this helpful

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Denise Gilbert

Great story

Reviewed in Canada on January 11, 2022

Verified Purchase

Easy to read and follow for classroom study.

One person found this helpful

Stef

Libro che tutti dovrebbero leggere. Scritto in modo semplice

Reviewed in Italy on November 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

Un libro che apre i cuori delle persone e che fa riflettere
Scritto in modo scorrevole e semplice per chi vuole sgranchire il proprio inglese
adatto a tutti grandi e piccini

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Kate Bell

One of the best books about disability I've read

Reviewed in Spain on May 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

I absolutely loved this book, the way it included disabled characters without making the story about their disabilities, the way it voiced each character so authentically, the adventure, the loss. It felt like such a sophisticated read, I'm not sure how it would go down with children. I haven't tested it. For adults, it really is a gem.

Kindle Customer

American middle school classic

Reviewed in Australia on April 10, 2023

Verified Purchase

OMG I didnt expect a bridge to terabithia moment.

While I know this novel is not meant for me. But I understand how it is a American classic. And I enjoyed the themes and writing.

Gartenzwerg

No big deal

Reviewed in Germany on April 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

Ich spreche nicht so gut Englisch, aber dieses Buch habe ich lesen können, ohne permanent im Wörterbuch nachschlagen zu müssen. Es erschließt sich viel aus dem Zusammenhang und ist in einer relativ einfachen Sprache geschrieben. Das Jugendbuch von Rodman Philbrick wurde 1993 veröffentlicht und ist wohl der größte Erfolg des Autors.

Der bärenhafte Maxwell und der schwerkranke, hochintelligente Kevin kennen sich schon aus der Kinderbetreuung. Doch erst als Kevin mit seiner alleinerziehenden Mutter im Nachbarhaus von Max Großeltern einzieht, schließen die beiden gleichaltrigen Jungen Freundschaft, was sich zu Beginn nicht so ganz einfach darstellt, weil Kevin ein ausgesprochen freches Mundwerk hat. Doch die beiden haben sich gesucht und gefunden; sie bilden sogar ein so starkes Team, dass sie zusammen in eine Klasse kommen, obwohl Maxwell sonst den schwächeren Schülern zugeordnet ist. Er ist bereits zwei mal in der siebten Klasse sitzengeblieben. Maxwell hat keine Freunde, ist ein Außenseiter - ein Muskelpaket - seinen Vater nennen die anderen "Killer Kane". Der sitzt wegen Mordes an der Mutter von Maxwell im Gefängnis.

Kevin wird nur "Freak" genannt, denn er ist ein Technik-Freak. Er kennt sich mit allen technischen Dingen supergut aus und interessiert sich auch für alles. Für Maxwell erschließt sich durch das Zusammensein mit Kevin eine vollkommen neue Welt und er schleppt ihn auf seinen Rücken durch die Gegend herum. Kevin als Gehirn und Max als Körper - gemeinsam sind sie "Freak the Mighty" und so kommt es, dass die beiden bedrohliche Situationen durch Maxwells Stärke und Kevins Intelligenz gut überstehen.

Nicht jeder kann dieses unschlagbare Team so besonders gut leiden. Es gibt Konfrontationen mit anderen Jugendlichen an der Schule und in der Freizeit. Als Maxwells Vater aus dem Gefängnis entlassen wird, wird es richtig spannend. Der Vater beteuert zwar, dass er mit dem Mord an Maxwells Mutter nichts zu tun hat, doch wer will ihm glauben? Auch Maxwell spürt instinktiv, dass er sich vor seinem Vater in Acht nehmen muss. Da taucht dieser eines nachts in Maxwells Bude auf ...

Ich habe dieses Buch sehr gerne gelesen. Ich kannte vorher bereits den Film The Mighty - Gemeinsam sind sie stark , der mich ebenfalls sehr berührt hat. Die Botschaft des Buches halte ich für wichtig. Kevin schenkt Maxwell ein dickes Buch mit leeren Seiten und er ermutigt ihn, es vollzuschreiben: "Jedes Wort ist der Baustein eines Bildes. Jeder Satz ergibt ein Bild. Alles was du zu tun hast, ist sie mit Hilfe deiner Vorstellungskraft zusammenzusetzen." Das ist für einen schwachen Schüler, wie Maxwell, eine echte Herausforderung. Doch zum Schluss sagt er dazu: "No big deal". Dafür fünf Punkte

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