A stunning young adult novel by Rodman Philbrick that tells the heartwrenching story of two ³special ed² boys who pair up to form a unique and empowering friendship. Two boys‹a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces‹forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. Made into the film, The Mighty.
Freak the Mighty ANNOTATION At the beginning of eighth grade, learning disabled Max and his new friend Freak, whose birth defect has affected his body but not his brilliant mind, find that when they combine forces they make a powerful team.
FROM THE PUBLISHER Dumb, stupid, and slow. All Max's life, he'd been called these names, and it didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned to be alone--at least until Freak came along. Together, they were Freak the Mighty. A major motion picture from Miramax Films starring Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, and Harry Dean Stanton. January 1998 publication date. Unabridged. 2 cassettes. FROM THE CRITICS Publishers Weekly Two eighth-grade misfits-one physically impaired, the other with a learning disability-become fast friends in a story PW found ``choked with clichs and stereotypes.'' Ages 10-14. (May)
Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum Big, dumb Max and little, brainy Freak become unlikely best friends in Rodman Philbrick's Freak the Mighty. Like knights in the Arthurian legends Freak loves, they battle bullies, including Max's felon father. When Freak's strange disease finally claims him, Max is able to say good-bye and continue with a new sense of his own worth, thanks to his friend. This powerful novel is the basis for the movie "The Mighty."
Children's Literature - Susie Wilde Two other heroes become larger than life in Freak the Mighty when Max Kane, a boy of big stature and slow mind meets Kevin, a dwarf with genius ability. Max puts Kevin on his shoulders, and they become victorious against drug addicts, bullies and killers. They seem almost invincible until the book's end where the upbeat writing and unlikely heroism rescues the novel from sadness.
School Library Journal Gr 6-9-A wonderful story of triumph over imperfection, shame, and loss. Large, awkward, learning-disabled Maxwell Kane, whose father is in prison for murdering his mother, and crippled, undersized Kevin are both mocked by their peers; the cruel taunting they endure is all too realistic and believable. The boys establish a friendship-and a partnership. Kevin defends them with his intelligence, while Max is his friend's ``legs,'' affording him a chance to participate in the larger world. Inspired by tales of King Arthur, they become knights fighting for good and true causes. But Kevin's illness progresses, and when he dies, Max is left with the memories of an extraordinary relationship and, perhaps, the insight to think positively about himself and his future. The author writes with empathy, honoring the possibilities of even peripheral characters; Kevin and Max are memorable and luminous. Many YA novels deal with the effects of a friend dying, but this one is somewhat different and very special.-Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
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