When you ever lose someone that you loved don’t you feel like if part of you is gonna? Do you ever feel as a person that life is hard? If you think your life is hard well you should read Freak the Mighty, written by Rodman Philbrick. This novel is fiction. The story may sometimes make you feel sad or happy because of the events of the story.
tIn this novel you will meet a boy named Max who gets bullied in school for looking like his dad and being tall and has no friends. You will also meet Freak who also gets bullied but for having disabilities who also has no friends. Max is not the smartest person in his class but Freak is he is one of the smartest there. Max lives with grandma and grandpa because his mom died when he was 4 years old and his father was in jail. When Max and Freak first met they didn’t really know each other but they started to become really good friends. But one night on 4th of July when they went to go see the fireworks because Freak was too small he couldn’t see anything but then Max picked him up and puts him on his shoulders he can finally see the fireworks. Max and Freak go to a lot of adventures together they have to conquer a lot of stuff together. After Max meets Freak in school Max carries Freak on his shoulders so Freak doesn't get picked on and when Max has Freak on his shoulders he feels like he has a brain because Freak is really smart.
tI think the major theme of the story is respect. In the story it shows no respect because Max and Freak got bullied and the teachers didn’t do anything about it. For example, when it was 4th of July Freak and Might were getting chased by Tony D. which is a big bully. For 4th of July him and his gang start to bother Freak and Max with a knife but it was hard to run because Freak was on the shoulders of Max. But Max feels like if he has a brain while Freak is on top of him because Freak is telling him where to go so they can get away from Tony D. and his gang. After running and struggling Max and Freak finally get away and the police go after Tony D. and his gang. After that day Max and Freak become “Freak The Mighty”.
tMy favorite part of the story when Killer Kane also known as Max’s dad kidnaps him and then Freak tries to go save him. When Freak tries to save Max he needs to get help from Loretta Lee because she was the only one who knew where he was because he was in contact with Killer Kane. When Loretta Lee takes Freak where Max’s dad had him tied up. When Loretta Lee was untying him Killer Kane came he started choking Loretta Lee and that reminded him how his mom died and why his dad went to jail and it was because when he was younger his dad choked his mom and that reminded him when his dad was choking Loretta Lee. Max then started to punch and hit his dad just how he did when he was younger and then Freak came with a water gun and it had vinegar in it and shoot killer Kane and that stopped him because it burned his eyes and then the police came and took Killer Kane to jail.
tI recommend this book to anyone at all ages because I think it might show you a lot of thing in life that my really happen these days. This is one of the best books I ever read. Sometimes this book made me really sad. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

School read, was actually pretty good.

Freak the mighty is a very touching story of unlikely friendships in which a kid Kevin who is super smart, adventurous, and kind meets kind of the opposite of that in his friend Maxwell Kane who is tall, clumsy, and "stupid." These two kids go on many journeys making you get closer to the both of them in a roller coaster of a book full of ups, downs, and emotions.

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 at a genius level for his age. Mighty also known as Max or Maxwell on the other hand is a very grown boy. he stands very tall, yet his mind isnt as quick or as smart.
the two come together and become best of freinds. noth help each other go through problems in life, and yet maintain a trustful, honest, and loyal companionship.
what i most enjoyed about this story was the use of the middle ages. freak the mighty based their tales on the oledn tales of King ARTHUR and his knight of round ables doing deeds for everyone else and protecting those in danger.as i too, enjoy those stories becassue they were quite fascinating and yet to say the least, worth my time.
try this book and see the meaning of true friendship. realize the power that is strength and courage.

I liked this book because it had a lot of good parts.

this book literally sucked so bad. like the characters weren’t realistic and the plot wasn’t interesting. freak was also annoying as all hell. overall a terrible book. oh and super predictable

A longtime film buff and screenwriter, I happened upon the adaptation a couple of years ago. With a star-studded cast that includes Sharon Stone, Harry Dean Stanton, James Gandolfini and others, it held me captive from start to finish.

During childhood, Max Kane became friends with Kevin a 'shrunken' boy who while brilliant suffered from a rare degenerative disease that caused a hunchback. When Max's mother is murdered by his father Kenny, his grandparents take him in.

Living in the basement of Gram and Grim's house years later, they notice a new family moving in next door and curiosity gets the best of Max. That evening he peeks over the fence and spots a crippled boy gazing up at a tree where a strange bird-like contraption dangles from a branch. As large as a full grown man, Max scurries up the tree and tosses it to his neighbor and its then he realizes that the boy is none other than his childhood friend.

Kevin possesses Mensa level intelligence, speaks like a professor which is the polar opposite of Max. One would normally assume a diseased child walking with crutches would be depressed and anxious, but Kevin is anything but! A fan of King Arthur, he refers to his mother as the Fair Gwen whose love for him is limitless. With an old friendship reignited, Max feels Kevin is a freak of nature and nicknames him 'Freak 'while Kevin feels Max is a Mighty Giant.

Driven by themes of unrelenting friendship, adoration and joy, the reader is immersed into the lives of 13 year-olds who become 'knights' in a modern world. Freak is part Sherlock Holmes, another Einstein and together they become "Freak the Mighty" since Max carries him around on his shoulders. As the story nears the finish line, we learn Kenny Kane escapes, captures Max and takes him to The Towers where his old buddies Iggy and Loretta dwell to hide from the looming danger.

This is one of those rare occasions when the film ADDS rather than detracts from the book since it uses visuals of 'The Knights of the Round table' to emphasize adventure. If you enjoy engaging, inspirational stories, this is a quick read you'll love.

Third Read - May 15, 2023 - June 1, 2023
4 Stars
I read this with my grade six class. They enjoyed it.

Second Read - June 4, 2018 - June 20, 2018
4 Stars
I read this with my grade six class. They were emotional near the end. They highly recommended that I read this with next years class.

First Read - year 2000
4 Stars
I enjoyed this book when I was in grade six.

I just got done reading Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. This book is about two boys that are not close then they reunite and became friends. Max and freak become really close friends and they did everything together. Maxwell was shy at first in the beginning then he came out of his shell and wasn't afarid to do anything with freak by his side. The theme was don't be afarid of anything or to do anything. I liked the story because it was about a shy boy that was shy in the beginning then came out of his shell and make friends and do things. Where Maxwell faced his fears and wasn't afraid of his dad.

***Spoiler alert***!!!


The title relates to the book because the title is called Freak The Mighty so it means that no matter how small or tall you are what really matters is the inside. The genre of this book is fiction. I liked the way the author gave figurative language like alliteration and metaphors. This book in my opinion is really good because the lesson we learned which is also called the theme is a good example. The lesson was really good because I actually learned something new by reading the book.


Max and Freak are their names in the book. They both have problems at school and home which is in the present. Max is tall and Freak is short and gets bullied at school because of how he looks. They started talking at school and became close friends. Max didn't want freak to die because he felt he was going to be lonely and he was going to feel like if he had no brain.


The author's tone in the book is sad and happy at different points. The beginning and end is sad because Max gets bullied for being tall and looking like his dad and Freak also gets bullied for having disabilities. The ending is sad because something big happens and it makes Max not talk to anyone. The author creates this tone by having big events in the book that makes everything change. In the book the author includes a metaphor which is "Cry like a baby". The author really means that Max cried a lot at one point.


I was surprised when I found out that one of the characters died at the end. Which was really sad for Max. I can relate to Freak because he likes to say weird things like "O mighty beast". Because I say a lot of weird things sometimes. The characters Max and Freak are different because Max is really tall and Freak is small. Freak also has disabilities and Freak doesn't. One thing that is the same about them is that they both have a heart for each other as friends.


After reading this book I think I give this book a 5/5 rating in stars. I think this because I liked how the author included 2 different boys who at the end of he story are really close friends. I also liked how the author included a really good theme. He did a good job with details too. When the author talked about something or someone he actually wrote great details about them. I liked when the author gave specific things when Max and Freak walked into the building. I would recommend this book to my cousin because I think she will like it a lot. I think that because she likes to read action books and also mystery. Freak The Mighty is kind of mystery and action that's why I think my cousin will like it. I would also recommend it to any of the students who haven't read it.

Read with my class. We all agreed we think the message and representation in this book is very important. However, we found the writing style not as engaging as we would have liked it.

What do you get when you put a 2-foot tall genius on the shoulders of a 7-foot tall* son of a convicted murderer? Freak the Mighty, of course.

Individually, these two are Kevin, AKA "Freak," and Maxwell, AKA "Mad Max." Both boys are outcasts, based on their physical appearance and Max's background. (His father killed his mother when Max was 4 years old. He's been raised by his maternal grandparents, who are afraid he'll turn out like his father since he looks just like him.) Both boys are fatherless, since Kevin's father left when it became obvious he was different. (He's diagnosed with Morquio syndrome.)

The novel is told from the p.o.v. of Max, looking back at the events that occurred his 8th grade year. Everyone thought Max had serious learning disabilities, until he became friends with Kevin, who brought him out of his shell both emotionally and intellectually.

I'm giving this book 3 stars, because I liked it, but I didn't think it was amazing. I can see how it would be a very powerful book for the intended reading level.

*Kevin says they're 9 feet tall combined. Max never says how tall he actually is, but he constantly tells us that he's bigger than everyone else. When he meets his father, he says that they're the same height, but his father is heavier. In Kevin's dictionary, he says he's 70 cm tall and Max is 190 cm tall, which would make him about 6'3".

Read for Book Group, February 2014.