Freak the Mighty Ch. 1-12 Review Challenge

Match the following chapter summaries with the correct number from chapters 1-3 of Freak the Mighty.

• Chapter 2

• Max reflects on meeting Freak and reveals that he was a little scared by him. He goes upstairs and looks out to see Freak waving a crutch around at a tree. Max is curious, but after some observation realizes that Freak has something stuck in the tree. He attempts to sneak over, but Freak hears him and it looks like he may strike Max with his crutch. Max grabs the plastic bird out of the tree and gives it to Max. The two spend the afternoon playing with the bird. Max notes how strangely Freak talks. He uses a sophisticated language that Max doesn’t really understand, but he just goes along with it. Freak is curious about the basement where Max lives, so Max grabs the wagon and pulls him over to his house.

• Chapter 3

• A boy named Max begins by recalling his time in daycare when he was a child. He says that back then his nickname was Kicker because he was rather physical with the teachers and other children. When he was in daycare, he met a boy who he called Freak. Max recalls Freak disappearing from daycare all of a sudden, and he doesn’t see him again until the third grade when he spots him through the window of a van. The narrator lives with his grandparents, who he calls Gram and Grim. Max overhears his grandparents talking about how much he reminds them of “Him”. Max reveals that the “Him” they are referring to is his father and that his grandparents refuse to say his name.

• Chapter 1

• Max lives in the basement of his grandparents’ house. He likes it in the basement or “down under” because it gives him some privacy and separation. The summer has not been very eventful, and Max spends the majority of his days in the basement reading comic books. One day, while in the backyard, he sees a van goes down the street and spots a beautiful woman and Freak. Max notes that Freak is very small for his age. He says his head is a normal size, but the rest of his body is small and twisted so he can’t stand up. Even so, Freak orders the movers around and is able to move about with his crutches. When Freak sees Max, he orders him to identify himself or suffer the consequences. Max, confused by the interaction, runs away.

Match the following chapter summaries with the correct number from chapters 4-6 of Freak the Mighty.

• Chapter 5

• On the Fourth of July, Max and Freak go to the fireworks without their parents. The two encounter a boy named Tony D, who everyone calls Blade. The boys attempt to avoid Tony, but he starts insulting them and Freak fights back by calling him a cretin. When Max laughs at this remark, Blade is furious. Thankfully, a police car happens to pull up and Tony and his gang scatter. While watching the fireworks, Freak cannot see well, so Max puts him on his shoulders. Freak is so happy to watch the fireworks and name all the chemicals and elements used to create them.

• Chapter 6

• In the basement, Freak explains why he calls his mother “The Fair Gwen.” He says the name comes from the tale of King Arthur and explains the plot to Max. As he tells the story, Max realizes how intelligent Freak is. During the story, Max says that knights were the first robots. When Max says that robots aren’t real, Freak is terribly annoyed and gives a speech about robotics and how they are used today. Freak discusses his love of reading and the reader learns that Max is learning disabled, but he doesn’t share this information with Freak. The two hear Gwen (Freak’s mother) calling for him, and we learn that his Freak’s real name is Kevin. When they come out the door, Gwen sees Max and seems very scared. She grabs Freak and the wagon and quickly runs home.

• Chapter 4

• Max lays in the dark thinking about the look that Gwen had on her face. Gram knocks on his door and asks to speak with him about a phone call she received from Gwen. Max is nervous at first, but we soon learn that Gwen called to apologize because of her reaction. Gram reveals that Gwen and Max’s mother were good friends and that Gwen wants to have Max over for dinner to apologize. He reluctantly agrees to go. While there, Gwen explains how she was good friends with Max’s mother until she married his father. She says that she is sorry for her reaction, and Freak reveals that she was scared because Max resembles his father so much. The reader learns that Max’s father is in prison. They have a wonderful evening together and when Max gets home, he lies down on his bed and begins crying tears of happiness.

Match the following chapter summaries with the correct number from chapters 7-9 of Freak the Mighty.

• Chapter 9

• After the fireworks, Freak remains on Max’s shoulders as they walk to the food carts. Freak sees Blade and his gang and steers Max like a horse to avoid them. The two are cornered by the gang, and Max runs away and into a mud filled pond in fear of being stabbed by Blade’s knife. Max moves deep into the water and when he turns back, he can see that Blade cannot go as far as he has. Blade and his gang start throwing rocks. Freak whistles loudly and the police appear. Blade and his gang run away when the police arrive. The police pull the boys out, and one of the officers recognizes Max as Killer Kane’s son. Freak tells the officers that they are called Freak the Mighty.

• Chapter 8

• Max frequently transports Freak around on his shoulders, which he loves because he can steer him on adventures and quests. One day, the two boys go on a long walk and end up at a medical research facility. Freak tells Max that they do experiments there in bionics where they can improve humans by replacing and modifying their parts. Freak says that he is going to become a human robot. At first Max thinks this is one of his stories, but he soon realizes that it is the truth. Freak makes Max promise to not tell anyone about this by having them both spit on their hand and shake on it.

• Chapter 7

• Max is concerned that he will get in trouble, but everyone sees him as a hero who saved Freak’s life. The police bring Max home and share what happened with Gram and Grim. Grim is proud of him and offers him a cup of coffee and even refers to him as son, which he has never done before. Gram tells Max to steer clear of Tony and his gang, which he agrees to do. During the summer, Freak and Max spend all their time together. Every day, Freak comes over to wake Max up and bring him on a quest.

Match the following chapter summaries with the correct number from chapters 10-12 of Freak the Mighty.

• Chapter 10

• They boys leave the apartment and run home. Summer has come to an end, so Gram takes Max shopping for new clothes. Although Max is usually in the learning disabled class, he has been moved to the same classes as Freak at Gwen’s request and his grandparents’ approval. The English teacher, Mrs. Donelli, attempts to get Max to talk in class without any success. The kids taunt Max, but Freak defends him, climbs up on his shoulders, and gets the students to begin chanting Freak the Mighty. Because of this disturbance, both Max and Freak are sent to the principal’s office. Freak is able to use his words to get them both out of trouble.

• Chapter 12

• Freak and Max go to a dangerous part of town called New Tenements to return the purse. The boys arrive at the door and a woman answers it and starts yelling at them and calling a man named Iggy over. The woman thinks Max looks familiar, but she can’t place him. Iggy insists that they come inside. The boys are scared, but they listen. Loretta, the woman who answered the door, finally realizes that Max is Killer Kane’s son. Although Loretta wants to continue messing with the boys, Iggy tells the boys to leave in fear that Max’s father will hear that he hasn’t treated them well.

• Chapter 11

• Max keeps growing and has been getting stronger. Grim thinks it is from carrying Freak around all day. When Grim shows pity for Freak, Max doesn’t understand why people continue to do this as Freak is smarter than most adults he knows. Freak shows up at the door with a quest for Max. He found something in a storm drain and wants to meet at 3:00am to sneak out and get it. Max agrees and sets his alarm to meet him at night. The two set off on their quest in the middle of the night. When they arrive at the storm drain, Max pulls off the grate and they retrieve a woman’s purse. Freaks says that he saw one of Blade’s gang members throw it down there, so they must have stolen it. The find a wallet with an ID and decide to return it to the damsel in distress.

What was Max's nickname in day care?

What is Kevin's nickname?

What is Kevin's mom's nickname?

What's the name of the bully who chases after Max and Kevin, when they first became "Freak the Mighty"?

Drag the character trait into the category for who it describes.

Groups:

(a) Max

,

(b) Kevin

• Physically disabled

• Very small

• Looks like his dad

• Lives with his grandparents

• Dad left before he was born

• Quiet and shy

• Learning disabled

• Has a sassy attitude

• "Kicker"

• Uses crutches

• Very smart

• Dad is in jail

• Very big and tall

• "Freak"

What grade are Kevin and Max in?

• 6th Grade

• 7th Grade

• 8th Grade

• 9th Grade