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Philbrick, Rodman. Freak the Mighty. New York: Scholastic Books, 1993. 160 pages.

 

This story charts the development of the friendship between Maxwell “Max” Kane, an adolescent with a learning disability, and Kevin, an adolescent with Morquio Syndrome, a rare form of dwarfism. At the beginning of the novel, Max has low self-esteem and has internalized negative messages about his academic ability. Kevin, on the other hand, is a genius with an impressive vocabulary and a never ending curiosity. They become good friends, offering each other something unique. Max becomes Kevin’s legs by hoisting Kevin upon his shoulders, and Kevin becomes Max’s brain by introducing Max to new vocabulary and encouraging him to read. Together, they become “Freak the Mighty,” travelling as a unit on quests around their neighborhood. When Max’s father is released from prison and kidnaps him, it is Kevin who comes to his rescue, a testament to the boys’ friendship. As a result of their friendship, Max develops more confidence in himself as a reader and a writer.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.