Freak+The+Mighty

**__//Freak The Mighty// by Rodman Philbrick__**

 * APA reference: Philbrick, R. (1993). //Freak the mighty. //New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.


 * Summary: //Freak The Mighty// is about a rising eighth grade student, Max, who suffers from a learning disability that significantly impacts his academic and personal life. Aside from having a learning disability, Max is extremely large for his age, let alone than the rest of the students in his classes. Max receive taunts and comments from not only his classmates, but his teachers as well. This kind of treatment leads Max to have incredibly low self-esteem, as well as anger issues which impede his ability to adequately get along with his classmates. One day during the summer before eighth grade, Max meets Kevin, an abnormally small boy who suffers from a birth defect which causes his heart and his mind to grow appropriately, but his body does not. Kevin, although very small, has an incredible IQ and is not afraid of anyone or anything. Kevin and Max become best friends, getting into all kinds of trouble and going on many adventures; because Kevin is unable to move without leg braces and crutches, he begins to ride on top of Max's shoulders, and deems themselves "Freak the Mighty." When Max's homicidal father manages to get parole from prison, and comes looking Max, Kevin helps the police and Max's family make sure that his father will never harm him again. Kevin suffers from many medical anomalies, and throughout the book, he becomes more and more ill, much to Max's displeasure. At the end of the novel, Kevin helps Max see that he can be a successful, accomplished young man as long as he has faith in himself and doesn't let what others think affect him.


 * Critique: //Freak The Mighty// confronts many issues which adolescents may encounter in middle school and high school today. For example, on pg. 19, Max says "I may have to explain how I'm an L.D.," referring to his learning disability. Because Max has little faith in himself, and the way he has been treated by his teachers and peers, he uses his disability to define himself. Learning disabilities are the most common disability in the American public school system today, and it is very easy to believe that a student could develop a low sense of self and efficacy if they are taught that all they are is a student with a disability that they cannot overcome. Another concept from //Freak The Mighty// which I believe appeals to adolescents is the fact that it includes a mixture of imagination and adventure, which are critical for students in middle school to still experience while reading. Middle school is such an extremely pivotal time in adolescents lives, because they are in a balance of being treated like children (from elementary school) and like adults (in high school). By reading a book which has a definite plot, realistic ideas, but that is also filled with some adventure and mystery, //Freak The Mighty// can help adolescents embrace both characteristics of literature.


 * Content Area Ideas:
 * Language Arts- Students can locate unfamiliar words in the text, look up their definitions, and create their own "Dictionary," like Kevin does. Students could also create their own depictions of the text while reading by using the "Gallery Images" strategy.
 * Mathematics- Students can create drawings of Kevin on top of Max's shoulders, and use the Pythagorean theorem in order to find how big the shadow of "Freak the Mighty" would be.
 * Science- Students can research the different kinds of disabilities which students in their classroom and school have.
 * Social Studies- Students can research famous people who have had learning disabilities as well as other types of disabilities, and how their disability may have impacted their lives.
 * Physical Education- Following research of the different kinds of disabilities, students can explore what kind of impact these disabilities have on people's physical, emotional, and academic lives.