"Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty was written by Rodman Philbrick in 2001 and published by Scholastic Press. Philbrick introduces the relationship of two young boys in middle school. During a time when even the most mainstream of children face bullying, these two boys encounter a world of prejudices. Max is a mentally challenged boy of grandiose proportions. Max is also the narrator of the story. Much larger than other boys of his age, Max faces discrimination from his classmates who call him terrible names. The other boy is named Kevin, a very small, physically handicapped, and brilliant individual. The two boys meet in eighth grade, after not seeing each other since day care. Max, the reader comes to learn, is from a torn family. His father ended the life of his mother in a horrific murder. As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Max's grandparents fear that Max also contains part of his father. The summer of the following year is filled with adventure from the two friends. Named Freak the Mighty, Kevin sits on the shoulders of Max and they rescue helpless maidens all over town. The two boys attribute their strength to the combination of their talents. Max is the strength of the operation, while Kevin acts as the brain power. After rescuing a friend of Max's newly released father, Max's father kidnaps Max and holds him hostage in an abandoned house. Kevin heroically rescues his friend by claiming to have a squirt gun full of acid. The two friends escape from danger and are relieved. Several days later, Kevin suffers from a stroke and passes away. Before Kevin passes, he gives Max a book without any pages. Kevin asks Max to fill the pages with the story of their adventures. This wish becomes the journey that the reader comes to learn is the story of Freak the Mighty. In a hear wrenching final chapter, Max expresses his grief over the loss of his best friend.

I rediscovered this book after reading it originally in high school. While technically realistic fiction, the adventures of these two friends are almost fantastical. The description of friendship is almost magical. I found the second reading of this text to be just as heartfelt as the first. Our current education system is at war with bullying. A buzzword in every school, the insults that occupy a modern elementary or middle school are insidious. As the digital landscape shapes the hatred that students project at one another, a story of genuine friendship between two disadvantaged students is a call for peace. Philbrick introduces very mature scenes of suspense and fear, perhaps not appropriate for elementary audiences whatsoever, as an explicit representation of what bullied children go through everyday. The hardships that these two fictional characters faced are present in the classrooms that we see everyday. Philbrick includes particular language and situations that I feel are inappropriate for perhaps all elementary students. I think that if this text was introduced shortly after matriculation into middle school with careful rehearsal for possibly tough questions, the story may captivate many readers and challenge the actions and words that they throw around so carelessly to students that may be different. My development as a young man was generic in many senses. I have maintained average health and grew up in a safe environment. I can recall feeling remorseful for students who were given a hard time for something beyond their control. Hatred and misunderstanding is contagious in a middle school with developing characters. I recommend this novel for teachers who desire to highlight the victories of two individuals who truly overcame all expectations.

For other Philbrick titles: http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/