Freak the Mighty

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's 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

Stephanie Zvirin

Whether he's called Mad Max, that "retard," or the son of Killer Kane, Maxwell Kane has never been free of his father's reputation. If that's not bad enough, he's also inherited his father's looks and build. For an eighth-grader, Max is big, which makes him feel even worse--enormous as well as dumb and tainted. Things begin to change for Max, however, when Kevin, born with a birth defect that's stunted his growth, moves in down the street. The boys become friends. With Kevin, who's brilliant, providing the brains and imagination and Max providing the locomotion, the boys unite to become "Freak the Mighty" and venture out on "quests" around the neighborhood. It's on one of these outings that they meet Loretta and the menacing Iggy, who knows Max's father. What happens next is a shock: the poignant story about friendship and identity turns chilling and then horrifying when Killer Kane comes back and kidnaps his son. It's only after the suspense dies down that we think about the implausibility of what's gone on, and by that time, Philbrick's already moved on to Kevin's inevitable death and Max's breakdown. Yet, if events don't always ring true, there's honest affection in the boys' friendship--Kevin is clever, brave, and a good teacher for Max, who gains from the friendship an identity apart from his father for the very first time. Told by Max in retrospect, the story is both riveting and poignant, with solid characters, brisk pacing, and even a little humor to carry us along.