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Freak the Mighty – the Perfect Middle School Novel Study

By  MARISSA DESPINS  Updated Feb 9, 2024

Teaching Freak the Mighty

Teacher friends who have been following me on the blog for a while know how passionate I am about the powerful teaching tool that is the middle school novel study. I strongly believe that the novel study can be the backbone of the middle school ELA curriculum. Exposure to well chosen and engaging texts is crucial to student reading success. These important books help students practice deep thinking and reading comprehension strategies.

Looking for some no prep resources to help you bring this novel to life in your classroom? Click on the image or button below to download the resources from my TPT shop!

As the new year approaches, I have been asked by multiple followers for suggestions for a great read aloud novel to start the year off right. After much contemplation, I present you with my all time favorite middle school novel study for the beginning of the school year – Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Below I share some of the top reasons behind my suggestion.

For more information on teaching specific novels, you won’t want to miss our posts on teaching  Wonder ,  The Hunger Games ,  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , and  The Outsiders!

On the hunt for some engaging graphic organizers that you can use with ANY novel study? Check out this post – and grab an exclusive free resource!

The Characters are realistic portrayals of middle school aged kids that readers can connect to

Emily Style once stated that “education needs to enable the student to look through window frames in order to see the realities of others and into mirrors in order to see her/his own reality reflected”. The main characters in Freak the Mighty provide strong windows and mirrors for middle school kids to connect to.

The protagonists in the story are going into eighth grade, and the author does a fantastic job of portraying them as realistic middle school kids. Sometimes, characters around this age group can seem much older (Katniss in “The Hunger Games” or Ponyboy in “The Outsiders”, for example). This makes them harder for students of a similar age to connect to. Other times, middle school kids in novels can seem much younger (Augie in “Wonder”, for example). In Freak the Mighty, however, one can easily imagine both Kevin and Max sitting right next to them in class.

The realistic portrayal of characters continues as readers learn that both characters are outsiders. This can be a great mirror for the outsiders in your own class. It gives them characters they can easily identify with and help them see that they are not alone. The characters also provide strong windows for the rest of your group, building empathy as they see the importance of being accepting of those with differences.

For some great information (and a fun freebie!) to help you teach character analysis, you won’t want to miss our post on character traits!

The book makes for strong classroom discussions

Classroom discussion opportunities are plentiful when working through Freak the Mighty with your learners. The book features two unexpected heroes who prove that courage comes in all sizes. Through this, students can see that they too can be heroes of their own stories. 

To encourage and structure our discussions, I like to use these Freak the Mighty Group Discussion Cards (grab them for FREE by clicking here or on the image below).

The first way I have used these cards with my learners involves small group discussion. First, I divide the class into groups.  Then, I give each group a couple of task cards, some chart paper, and some markers.  Groups discuss the answers to the questions. Then, they write their answers down on the chart paper.  When done, student groups present their answers to the class. I love this activity because each group ends up becoming experts on a few select questions, and are able to share their expertise with the entire class.

The second way I use these cards involves an “Around the Room Discussion”. First, I tape each task card to a sheet of chart paper, and hang the chart paper around the classroom (or hallway, or outdoor space).  Students silently and individually walk around and add their answers to the chart paper.  I encourage students to expand on each other’s answers (in an appropriate way).  When done, I bring the class back together and we share the results as a class. If you have students that tend to be too shy to share their thoughts in a group setting, this can be a really great way to encourage them to share their thinking!

The chapters are the perfect length for reading aloud

The length of the chapters is one of my favorite things about Freak the Mighty. I love how the chapters are short enough that you can read one out loud at the start of class without taking up too much class time.

Reading the novel aloud to the class, instead of having them read on their own, is fantastic for differentiation. As teachers, we know that readers are able to comprehend text at a much higher level than they can actually read. Reading aloud helps our struggling readers get the most out of the story.

If you struggle with keeping your students on task during a class read aloud, you may want to check out this post on read aloud accountability!

There is a sequel

The sequel, Max the Mighty, follows Max after the loss of his good friend Kevin. It is a great book for learners yearning to continue on with the adventure.

Books with sequels are high on my list of choices for classroom novel studies . This is simply because they encourage students to read more. Often, students fall in love with the characters and their adventures when reading. Because of this, they are often inspired to pick up the next in the series when we are finished. I make sure to have multiple copies of the sequel kicking around my room for this purpose. They are often some of the first books signed out of my classroom library.

Interested in grabbing the complete Freak the Mighty Middle School novel Study?

Click here or on the image below to visit my TPT shop and pick up a copy of the COMPLETE Freak the Mighty novel study . It contains comprehension questions, graphic organizers, and engaging projects and activities. It is a TPT Best Seller – over 2,000 copies have been sold!

If you are struggling with choosing the perfect book for your next novel study, you won’t want to miss our lists of favorite  middle school  and  upper elementary novels!

Looking for more Middle School Novel Study Information?

Check out these related blog posts below!

Benefits of Teaching Novel Studies

Hatchet Novel – Character Analysis

Upper Elementary Novel Study Favorites

The One and Only Ivan Novel Study – Free Activities

Looking for some free middle school novel study resources?

Click here or on the image below to download these FREE Graphic Organizers to use with ANY novel study! The FREE download contains 25 different templates!

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Freak the Mighty

Rodman philbrick.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Rodman Philbrick's Freak the Mighty . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Freak the Mighty: Introduction

Freak the mighty: plot summary, freak the mighty: detailed summary & analysis, freak the mighty: themes, freak the mighty: quotes, freak the mighty: characters, freak the mighty: terms, freak the mighty: symbols, freak the mighty: theme wheel, brief biography of rodman philbrick.

Historical Context of Freak the Mighty

Other books related to freak the mighty.

• Full Title: Freak the Mighty
• When Written: 1992
• Where Written: Maine
• When Published: 1993
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Young Adult Novel
• Setting: An unnamed American town
• Climax: Freak and Max escape from Kenny.
• Antagonist: Kenny (Killer) Kane
• Point of View: First Person

Extra Credit for Freak the Mighty

Quick Turnaround. Rodman Philbrick wrote Freak the Mighty extremely quickly—it only took him two months.

Playing Favorites. Philbrick has said that of all the characters he’s created and written about, Max is his favorite.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Peter Pan Chapter 12

Peter Pan Chapter 13

Freak the Mighty Activities

• By Gay Miller in Book Units

February 11, 2016

• Middle School Novel Study

Permanent link to this article: https://bookunitsteacher.com/wp/?p=2817

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Freak the Mighty

81 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Pre-Reading Context

Thought & Response Prompts

Paired Texts & Other Resources

Essay Questions

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

A Friend in Need

Max has confessed his struggles with reading and writing in school to you, a close friend. How would you help him? Devise three strategies to help Max, and determine how these strategies connect to the novel’s theme of Discovering Strength through Friendships .

Teaching Suggestion: Review Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 of Freak the Mighty and facilitate a discussion around Max’s feelings and actions. Encourage students to think of traits of their own friends to devise their plan on how to help Max.

• An article from the Learning Disabilities Resources Foundation about the benefits of the peer-to-peer model for students with learning disabilities

Facing Your Fears

Max and Freak each face different circumstances at home and at school. How do they approach these circumstances? How would you handle their situations if you were in their shoes, and why?

Teaching Suggestion: Allow students to reflect on their reading of Freak the Mighty and how they felt reading about Max and Freak’s family and school relationships. Highlight scenes that emphasize Friends vs. Bullies and Differences Among Friends .

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Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty is a popular novel written in 1993. It tells the story of Max Kane, a seventh grader who is formidable in stature but struggles with an undiagnosed learning disability and the trauma of losing his mother to violence at a young age. Max's new neighbor Kevin "Freak" Avery appears to be the polar opposite. Freak is extremely small and has a voracious love of learning coupled with an impressive vocabulary that stumps even their teachers! Freak's size is due to a rare genetic disorder that makes it difficult for him to walk. After striking up a friendship, Max takes to carrying Freak up on his shoulders and thus, "Freak the Mighty" is born: ready to embark on quests, slay dragons, aid damsels in distress, and navigate the ever treacherous world of middle school!

Student Activities for Freak the Mighty

Essential Questions for Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

• Who are the main characters in Freak the Mighty and what challenges do they face?
• What are some of the symbols and motifs present in the novel? How does the symbolism help you better understand the characters and their motivations?
• What are some of the themes present in the novel and what lessons does the author try to impart to the reader?
• What are some examples of courage and compassion shown in the novel?

Freak the Mighty Summary

Freak the Mighty is the story of Max Kane, a seventh grader who takes after his father in that he is very large in stature. Despite looking the size of an adult, Max has trouble in school and has difficulty passing every grade. He has an undiagnosed learning disability coupled with trauma from losing his mother to violence at a young age. However, when Max meets Kevin "Freak" Avery, his life begins to change.

Kevin, nicknamed Freak, is extremely small for his age at only about three feet tall in 7th grade. He suffers from a rare genetic disorder that makes it difficult to walk and he has leg braces and crutches. However, despite his size, Freak is extremely well-read and has an astounding vocabulary. Freak seems to know everything about everything! He is especially fond of literature and adventure stories such as those about "King Arthur". Both boys have difficulty navigating the world of middle school and strike up an unlikely friendship.

Max and Freak form a close bond and go on many adventures together. Max often carries Freak up on his shoulders which earns them the nickname "Freak the Mighty" because together they are unstoppable. They outsmart bullies and attend all their classes together with Freak helping Max finally learn to read and write. Freak tells Max that one day he will get a "Bionic" body to help with his condition. One of Max and Freak's adventures leads them to the home of Iggy and Loretta Lee, two ex criminals who reveal to Freak (and the reader) for the first time that Max's dad is Kenny "Killer" Kane, and is in jail for murder.

Max's father killed his mother when Max was only four years old. Kane has been in prison ever since but is up for parole despite the protests of Max's grandparents. One night while Max is sleeping, Kane kidnaps him and forces him to come with him to Iggy and Loretta's apartment building in a row of rundown tenements. Kane ties up his son telling him that all these years he was unjustly imprisoned and that he never murdered anyone. When Max tells his father that he knows he killed his mother, that he remembers it vividly, Kane goes into a rage. Kane is about to kill both Max and Loretta, who tried to come to his aid. In a shocking twist, Freak crashes through the window coming to the rescue just in time by outsmarting Kenny with a water gun!

The police arrive and Max's father is sent back to jail. However, their relief is short lived when a short time later, Freak suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. It is at the hospital that Max learns that Freak's story about a "Bionic" body was just that - a story. He knew that he would not survive his condition, which is called Morquio syndrome, but wanted to give Max something to hope for. Before Freak passes away, he gives Max a blank notebook telling him to write about all their adventures together.

Max takes Freak's passing very hard. He is depressed for about a year before he finally summons the courage to take out the blank notebook that Freak gave him and begin to write. It is here when the reader realizes that the book we've been reading is just that: Max finally channeling his grief into writing about his and Freak's "unvanquished" friendship and their epic adventures.

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How To Facilitate a Discussion on Freak The Mighty in Class

Read the story carefully, consider the central idea and lesson, discuss open- ended questions, encourage participation in discussion and activities, review and synthesize, frequently asked questions about freak the mighty by rodman philbrick, who are the primary characters of the story, why is the story named “freak the mighty”, does the book have any sequels or adaptations, pricing for schools & districts.

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